A Mighty Stranger
by BeeRiddle18
Summary: She raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the cold, heartless enemy I knew?" He smirked. "What happened to the fussy, preoccupied know-it-all I knew?" Rose and Scorpius have never seen eye to eye, however, hearts and minds will mature.
1. Beginnings

This is my first fanfiction on so try not to be too harsh ;) The fanfiction centers Rose Weasley, child of Hermione and Ron (just as it is in the books). As a hopeless romantic, I can't write without having some sort of romance in the main stroy. I'm sure you will figure out who the pairing is if you decide to read this fanfiction. I apologise for any errors I may have made. Feedback is welcome, however, if you want to criticise my work please be reasonable. Correct me on any mistakes I have made, a writer does like to improve ;)

Dislcaimer: I do not own the characters and story of Harry Potter, they belong to the wonderful J.K Rowling.

Chapter One-**Beginnings**

Rose sat quite comfortably on her recently washed bed spread, leaning against the wall with her copy of Wuthering Heights wrapped tightly in her arms. It was her favourite book and she had just finished reading through the tattered pages for the hundredth time. Most students at Hogwarts could not decipher the exquisite language used by the author, but for Rose, it was like second nature.

She sat dreamily, imagining herself as one of the period women from her timeless novels that sat neatly in a row across her top shelf. Timeless in her opinion of course. No one in her home shared her passion for dreams and romance. Those passions had to be put away whenever there was company, especially her mother who was all brains and very narrow minded.

Rose was awoken from her silent reflection by a bang on the wall behind her. She jumped and dived for the end of her double bed, sending pillows flying behind her. There were bangs and clatters and other awful loud noises coming from the opposite room, her brother's room. Hugo had developed a keen interest in muggle objects like her grandfather. The pair used to spend hours investigating automobiles and televisions at the burrow until her mother put her foot down when Hugo returned to the cramped kitchen, his good shirt greased and oiled.

There was brief shouting and then more shatters. Rose's ears were delicate when it came to loud noises and she was irritated easily. She composed herself from the tangle of sheets and pillows, threw open her bedroom door and stormed down the hallway.

"What's going on?" She snapped as she entered her brother's room.

Her father was lying on the ground in a frustrated heap, tangled in cords of all sorts. Hugo was backed up against the wall with a grin on his face.

"Hi sis," he said cheekily. "Sorry about the noise."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Here, let me help you dad." She continued, moving towards her father.

"Rose, watch your-" Started Hugo and her father in unison. Rose's feet left the ground and she screeched as she too went tumbling into a pile of what Rose referred to as 'Junk'. There was a horrible crunching noise followed by moaning and curses, they were coming from Rose.

"Ow ow ow, Hugo you stupid-ow ow ow, I am going to kill you!" She shrieked.

"Rosie," Said her father in his overly protective voice. "Are you alright?"

"I told you to watch out." Sang Hugo, making his way to her side.

"Don't touch me!" Ordered Rose. She pulled out her mahogany wand with her free hand and pointed it at the miscellaneous heap that tied her down. There was a flash of blinding light and all traces of 'junk' had dispersed.

"Hey! I needed that." Complained Hugo.

Rose ignored her brother and made her way to her father who was lying in a helpless ball. She muttered the same incantation and he was free. She helped him up, his face was red with fury.

"Hugo, how many times have I told you?" He yelled. Hugo cringed, moving back against the wall.

"Goodness gracious, what's going on?" Called her mother. A woman about the same height as Rose rushed into the room. She had large, brown bushy hair that was pulled back into a hopeless bun, and soft features with rather large front teeth.

"Ron?" Questioned Hermione, although it was more of an accusation.

Ron glared at his son for a moment and then gave Rose an apologetic look. He turned to face his wife.

"Hermione," He was using proper names. "I've had enough of this, tell your son to get rid of this 'junk'!" He had used Rose's word, she was proud. Her father stomped out of the messy room, muttering to himself.

Her mother look displeased. She folded her arms and looked straight at Hugo.

"Listen mum, it was unintentional, I swear." Stated Hugo. He looked to Rose for support but she returned the same level of hostility.

"Rose," Said her mother. "Can you leave? I'd like to speak with your brother."

Rose smiled forcefully and exited the room. She felt sorry for her brother but because of the minor injuries she sustained while being in his room, she really wasn't feeling helpful. She entered her room again and looked unhappily at her disheveled bed. She cursed her brother silently and began to tidy up her room. Rose was trying to keep it clean for the rest of the two days she had left at home. On Saturday she would make her final journey to the school she had grown to love so dearly. Hogwarts held so much history and adventure. It was perfect for her writing, which was another passion she kept away. Rose sighed in satisfaction at her clean bed. She moved to the window that faced the small and well kept backyard and looked at her clear reflection.

Her eyes were slightly slanted outwards and brown, a very caramel colour. Her hair was a mixture of light brown and red, auburn almost and in many ways it was like her mothers, although it did not hold as much height and thickness. It was quite long and wavy. Her face was heart-shaped and rosy. Together these features formed a rather charming five-foot eight girl, almost woman.

Rose breathed into the window and drew a love heart with the steam from her breath. She noticed the text books sitting behind her and picked out her favourite, a book on the stars and their complex formations. She had read over all her text books at least twice but couldn't care less. Reading wasn't a passion she had to hide from anyone.

.................................................. .................................................. ....

Saturday morning couldn't have come sooner. Rose awoke to a loud banging on the roof above. She scrambled out of bed and threw open her window to receive a blast of cold morning air and rain that felt more like ice shards. Rose was a morning person, much to the annoyance of her father and brother. She rushed around her bedroom, making sure everything was in order. _Have I read all my text books? Did I make notes on each subject? Are all my clothes packed? Have I forgotten anything important?_ These thoughts ran tirelessly through her mind. She turned to face the large and faded trunk that sat on her bed. Her belongings had barely fit.

"Here we go again." She muttered to herself. Rose grabbed the trunk by its sides, took a deep breath and lifted. It was a struggle down the stairs, she could hear banging and stomping and raised voices as she neared the living room. Rose dropped the trunk on the deep blue couch and sighed in relief. Her mother rushed passed and zoomed up the stairs, _to wake up Hugo of course_, thought Rose. Her father strolled in casually and flopped onto the opposite couch. He was lanky, very tall and had a very goofy look. His flaming red hair stood out brightly in the dimly lit living room.

"Did you carry that thing down by yourself?" Asked her father, appalled. "I could've carried it for you!"

Rose shook her head. "It's fine dad."

Her mother stumbled down the stairs, lugging her brothers trunk behind her. She was tense and frustrated. She looked to Rose and her father who were staring at her.

"We have to leave in ten minutes," She scolded. "And you two are sitting there like sloths!"

"Sorry mum," Mumbled Rose. She jumped up almost immediately and pulled the trunk from her mothers grip. "Where is Hugo? I'll go and get him."

Her mother shook her head quickly. "No, no it's alright, Hugo will be down any moment..." Everyone looked around, the silence was very natural. "HUGO! Hurry up will you!" Shouted her mother.

Her father chuckled. "I'll pack the car."

Rose headed into the kitchen and grabbed the last piece of toast sitting on plate. She quickly buttered it and chucked it in her mouth. _I'll have to buy something on the train_, she thought. Rose looked around the kitchen, it was a complete mess! She yanked out her wand from her skirt pocket and pointed it at all the dishes. They rose from their places and flew through the air like leaves caught in the wind. "Come on Rose!" Yelled her mother. Rose rushed out of the kitchen and paused in the living room to examine herself. Her hair was in a high pony tail and her fringe sat lightly on her forehead. Her knee length skirt was uncreased and her long sleeved top was un-stained. She ran to the hallway, yanked her jacket off the hook and flew out the front door.

The Drive to Kings Cross Station was quicker then Rose had expected. It seemed time was against her. The weather had not settled at all. Instead, the rain was hammering down which caused her father to put repelling spells all over the car. The conversation revolved mainly around the weather and the coming school year. Rose was relieved that no one had asked her about life after school. She really had no idea.

Her mother was an outstanding worker at the Ministry of Magic. She worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and improved house-elves living standards tremendously, then moved on to work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and ended the pro-pureblood laws. Her father worked as an Auror for some time but then moved on to help her uncle George at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Rose considered the Ministry of Magic, she had alway's been interested in International Magical Cooperation, but still had her doubts. She wanted to be an individual.

The car came to a sudden stop. Rose peered outside the window to discover that they had arrived, time was definitely against her. She began pull on her jacket and scarf.

"No robes this time?" Mocked Hugo. Rose pushed him lightly, her brother could be so annoying sometimes. She had given up the robes tradition in her fourth year. The rain whipped her face as she exited the car. She ran to the boot and helped her father remove the trunks, they splattered water everywhere as they dropped on the flooded side walk.

The family hurried through the down pour towards the large station. It was almost impossible to move through the crowd that swarmed the station. Her father was cursing under his breath as he pushed through everyone, her mother was behind him. Rose pushed the trolley as fast as she could, although it was not going to get any faster.

"I wonder if we'll miss the train," Called Hugo from somewhere behind Rose. "Maybe then we'll have to get to Hogwarts the same way dad did in his second year!"

Rose laughed at her brother's silly suggestion. "I'd rather get to school normally."

The family reached the barrier in record time. They stood, puffing for a moment before her mother straightened herself up. "You first Hugo." She instructed.

Hugo positioned himself in front of the barrier, took a deep breath and ran. He disappeared within seconds.

"Rose."

Rose smiled and followed her brother's actions. The rush of going through the barrier was one she would definitely miss. She pushed against the heavy trunk and started to walk quickly. It made her nervous to run. In an instant she was through the barrier and she breathed a sigh of relief. Rose slowed to a casual walk and looked around the less crowded area in search of her brother. He was standing with a family she knew just as well as her own.

The Potter's were a family she had known since birth. She was great friends with all of them, but especially her cousin Albus, whom was also in the same year as Rose. She reached the family in time to receive four warm smiles.

"Hi aunt Ginny," She spoke warmly. She hugged her aunty and turned to face the rest of the Potters. "Harry...Lily...James...James?"

Her older cousin had graduated from Hogwarts one year ago.

"Hi Rosie!" He said. She went to hug him.

"What are you doing here?" Rose questioned.

James Chuckled. "Well, for the past few years I was always on that train, now it's my turn to stand by and watch you all go off!"

She laughed. "Where's Albus?"

"He's finding a compartment, he'll be back soon."

Everyone stood in a comfortable silence for a minute or two before Rose's mother and father joined the large group. They greeted their best friends warmly and began animated discussions about work. It wasn't long before Albus appeared in the crowd.

"Al!" Called Rose, waving frantically. Albus waved back enthusiastically. To Rose, it felt like they were back in their first year when everything was new and exciting.

"How are you?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, it's our seventh year Al, I'm feeling a whole mix of emotions."

Albus grinned. "Me too."

"So," Said her mother from behind them. Rose and Albus turned to find their families beaming at them. "It's your last year at Hogwarts. Are you excited?"

Albus and Rose nodded. It was definitely going to be an exciting year.

"Our year is important too!" Chimed Lily. She and Hugo were entering their fifth year at Hogwarts. It was certainly going to be a stressful year for them also.

"Newts and Owls," Exclaimed Rose's father. "All of you better work hard, especially you two." He said, eyeing Albus and Rose. "We can't have Scorpius Malfoy beating you in your tests!"

"Ron!" Scolded her mother.

Everyone laughed.

"Well," Said Harry. He put his arm around Ginny's shoulders. "I suppose you better get on the train."

"Farewell little children!" Mocked James. He ruffled Albus' hair roughly.

"Not little," Corrected Rose. "You're only a year older."

Ginny pulled her oldest son back by the collar of his shirt. "And in many ways," She added. "He is so much younger then you!"

Everyone laughed again. The two families moved off into separate groups to farewell their children. "Work hard," Said Rose's mother loudly whilst hugging her daughter. "It's an important year for both of you!"

The families rejoined and together, Rose, Albus, Lily and Hugo entered the train. Rose was excited about this year. She was going to make the most of it.

_______________________

I hope that wasn't too corny :) Do not worry, the story will improve in activity, I just had to get past the introductions.

Until next time...


	2. Prejudice

Chapter Two-**Prejudice**

The smoke from the train was gathering. It was too thick to see her family anymore, and so Rose turned briskly and began dragging her over sized trunk down the narrow hallway. She had been the last to fully proceed onto the train and couldn't find her family members or friends. She assumed Hugo and Lily had gone to find their own friends, but Albus could not be seen. _How can he expect me to find him? I don't even know which direction his compartment is in_. Rose sighed in a frustrated manner.

She continued left, towards the end of the train, hoping he wouldn't be situated towards the other end. She peeked through the compartment doors with no luck whatsoever. At one point, she managed to intrude on a young couple showing their affection for each other.

"This is hopeless," Rose muttered. She pinched the bridge of her nose roughly. _This is meant to be a memorable year, Rose. You shouldn't be spending it looking for your cousin's compartment!_ She breathed in heavily; Rose was impatient and easily annoyed.

She turned around slowly and started to walk in the opposite direction. The impatience had clearly conquered her eyesight for she walked straight into something that resembled a brick wall. Rose stumbled backwards. She looked up to find that it wasn't a something she had walked into, it was a someone. She had walked into a very startled and bothered Scorpius Malfoy. He was only a foot or two taller then herself, with pointed features that somehow reminded her of a Quidditch player. His blond hair was different from last year. It was shorter and spiked. A much better look for him.

"Oh dear," Said Rose in a rushed voice. "I'm terribly sorry, I am very sorry!"

Scorpius only glared. He eyed her distastefully for a fraction of a second before moving around her and continuing down the hallway. Needless to say, Rose was offended.

"Well sorry." She muttered sarcastically.

Rose began to walk again, checking there weren't any obstacles in her way this time, like brick walls, trunks, more egotistical and unfriendly boys. She didn't have to walk very far before Albus exited a compartment five doors down.

"Rose!" He called eagerly. Rose narrowed her eyes at him, and kept them like that until he noticed her hostile mood.

"What's the matter?" He asked. She kept her face stern. Albus sighed. "Okay, I know what you want." He placed his hand on her shoulder and placed his other on his chest.

"I am truly sorry, from the bottom of my cold heart, for abandoning you in your time of need. I was careless, and stupid, and I apologise sincerely. Can you ever forgive me?" His mock sincerity lifted Rose's mood quickly. She laughed briefly.

"It's okay, you nong." She answered. "You've just kept me wandering the lonesome hall of the train for the last ten minutes. I checked almost all the compartments you know?" Rose left out the part about running into the passionate couple.

Albus laughed. "You clearly didn't search hard enough."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Let's just get into the compartment. My back is aching  
from lugging this thing-" She pointed to the trunk lying at her feet. "-around the train."

Rose turned to pick up her trunk, but Albus grabbed her arm.

"You don't have to worry, you know?"

Rose frowned. "I'm not worried."

Albus shook his head. "I'm going to miss Hogwarts too, don't let it get you down though. We're going to make the most of this year."

Rose smiled. "Well, seeing as you're being so nice," She noted. She picked up the heavy trunk and shoved it into Albus' arms. "Would you be a dear and carry this for me?"

Rose didn't wait for his reaction. She opened the compartment door and let her struggling cousin in first. "Jesus, Rose!" He murmured through the trunk. "What do you keep in here?"

She laughed softly and waited for her cousin to be safely through the door. Rose stepped in and shut it behind her.

She was bombarded with greetings from so many familiar faces. To her left were Tristan and Laura. She was only acquainted with the two Hufflepuffs. They were Albus' friends. To her right were Paul and Elizabeth. She knew them quite well. Paul was a quiet character. He didn't converse easily with people he hardly knew, the group that sat before her were the only people he seemed to be at ease with. Paul had inherited gorgeous black curls and blue eyes, his features were soft and mysterious, all of these genes were put together to create a quite attractive young man.

Elizabeth was short and somewhat round. She had a curly brown bob cut and many freckles that sat on her small nose. Her eyes were round and wide with a purplish tinge, she had a very wild and excited look about her.

The one person Rose couldn't look at was her best friend, Holly. As soon as Rose set foot inside the compartment, the girl flung her arms around her best friend and gave her a bone crushing hug. Holly was of Irish Descent; her mother's side of the family was all Irish while her father's were English.

"Oh Rose, how are you?" She said in a rush. "I've got so much to tell you! You wouldn't believe what happened!"

Holly released Rose almost immediately. Her best friend hadn't changed at all. She maintained a certain air of elegance about her, even if she was the most ecstatic and bubbly girl Rose had ever known. Holly had shoulder length, blond hair with numerous curls. She had very pointed and thin features, very pixie like.

"Hi Holly, you haven't changed a bit!" Said Rose.

Holly laughed. "Neither have you!"

And so the 'Holly Speed Train' began. When Holly started talking, she didn't stop. She spoke about her holiday in Ireland, her family members, everything she learnt and her second cousin who moved to Switzerland. The next part came as a shock though.

"Oh and I received my head girl badge just before I left!"

"What?" Asked Rose, she couldn't hide her surprise. "When? Why didn't you tell me? Wow...Head Girl...I mean, Congratulations! Sorry, that's very good, no it's great!"

"Don't worry, I was shocked too." Holly said for her benefit. "I might've fainted, I don't remember!"

Rose laughed. "That really is-WAIT!"

Everyone in the compartment jumped. They all looked to her with confused expressions.

"Great, there goes my ear drum." Muttered Elizabeth.

Albus laughed. "What is it, Rose?"

She was almost bouncing out of her seat. "H-Holly!" She stuttered. "You have to go to the head compartment!"

Everyone was silent for a moment. Holly threw herself across the compartment, shoved open the door and tripped into the hallway. "Bye everyone!" She called from down the hall.

"Poor Holly," Mumbled Laura. "I bet she'll be knocking over innocent students now, I hope she doesn't get into too much trouble."

Tristan laughed loudly. "I can imagine her doing that!"

Everybody joined in now. The whole compartment was filled with laughter and the joke wasn't even that funny.

"In fact, before I entered this compartment, I almost knocked over someone," chimed Rose. "Actually, he knocked me over!"

"Poor kid," Said Tristan. "Who was it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Scorpius Malfoy."

The whole compartment came to an abrupt silence. All eyes were on Rose now, she felt very uncomfortable. _Stupid idea Rose, silly girl_, she said repeatedly in her mind. Albus folded his arms.

"What happened?"

Rose sighed angrily. The Slytherins weren't the friendliest group of people, but that was no excuse for the prejudiced responses from her friends. Scorpius Malfoy had received many unnecessary comments from other students just because of his father's bad reputation at the school. He could be rude and obnoxious and ignorant and cruel and selfish and unreliable and mean! Rose was definitely getting carried away. She sighed, releasing the tension in her muscles.

"Look," She said, trying to sound reasonable. "Scorpius may be unfriendly and horrible...at times, but that's no excuse for you to be judgmental and mean. Just because he's in Slytherin! It was an accident, and I walked into him."

All five of them sat there, gaping at her words. Paul seemed to ease slightly when she smiled. Everyone else followed soon after.

"I'm sorry," She muttered. "But you're all being quite prejudiced."

No one said anything and Rose was sure they weren't going to speak for a little while. She stood up briskly and went to open the compartment door.  
"I'm going for a short walk." She said and removed herself from the tense atmosphere.

_Why was I defending him? He was very rude to me earlier, he deserved the reactions they gave his name...or did he? I'm sure he is very nice. No, no he's not, he's a horrible person who is unforgiving and vile. What are you saying Rose? You haven't even had a full conversation with him! The only words that were passed between us were insults or were forced._

Rose rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. She imagined herself as her own character in the period era. All the while, her mind kept retreating to the argument she had experienced. This was definitely the wrong way to start the school year.

The train was slowing now, it was ten minutes from Hogsmeade station and the eager students were gathering their belongings and readying themselves for the return to their beloved school. The rain was pouring down and hit everything it touched like bricks. The wind howled and raged, _this is going to be eventful_, thought Rose.

The uneasy atmosphere of the compartment had settled by the time Rose returned from her walk. Everyone was chatting excitedly about their return to Hogwarts and how they planned to spend their year. It was after all, their last year at the magnificent school. Rose was still nervous and queasy at the thought of life after Hogwarts, she gripped her stomach and thought of large, complicated words to calm her senses. _Molybdenum, Orthomyxoviridae, Portmanteau_. She said those words over and over until she felt better.

The train came to a sudden stop and a burst of chatter and shouting erupted from every inch of the Hogwarts Express. Students began filling the hallway, eager to remove themselves from the train. Rose stumbled off after being pushed by an anonymous student who was laughing and shouting. She straightened herself up and moved to a less crowded area of the platform. There she waited, fully clothed in her clean Gryffindor robes, for Holly and the others.

Rose didn't have to wait too long before Holly and Paul rushed over to her. They looked flushed and bothered; both dressed in their Gryffindor robes.

"It's mad over there!" Shouted Holly over the loud noise of eager students.

Paul nodded. "Have you seen the first years?" He asked quietly. "They look very nervous."

Rose smiled. "It is their first time at Hogwarts; they have every right to be scared!"

Soon, Albus, Tristan, Elizabeth and Laura joined the trio and they all set off in the direction of the carriages. They ran into the rain, pulling their clokes over their heads. Elizabeth was laughing madly.

"I forgot to ask," Yelled Rose over the heavy down pour. "Who is Head Boy?"

"Robert Briggs!" Replied Holly. "He's really quite nice!"

The group was relieved to find a carriage waiting for them, fully sheltered and cushioned. They piled in, one by one, happy to be out of the rain.

"The weather is brutal, isn't it?" Noted Tristan. He shook his wet hair over everyone.

"Oh come on Tristan," Complained Elizabeth. "We just escaped the rain!"

Albus chuckled. "Here we go everyone, welcome to our last year at Hogwarts!"

Paul laughed and the rest gave unnecessary cheers. Rose smiled and rested her head against the window of the carriage. Her last year at Hogwarts. Despite the negative start to the school year, Rose was going to make the most of what she had.

___________________

There is chapter two for you all. Now, all of the introductions have finished! I can finally move on to the main idea of the story 


	3. Derogatory Day

Chapter Three-**Derogatory Day**

_Bzzt...bzzt...bzzt...bzzt_. The alarm that sat beside Rose's bedside table shook violently. The dormitory erupted into a series of groans.

"Rose," Murmured Holly sluggishly. "Turnid off..."

"Only you would have an alarm, Rose." Muttered Elizabeth.

Rose sat up and looked at her alarm clock. It was six o'clock in the morning, and despite the protests of her peers, she jumped off the warm mattress and began to make her bed.

"Turn it off!" Someone yelled from behind her. A pillow smacked into the back of her head and she went tumbling into her sheets. It was a moment before she removed herself from her jungle of a bed and slowly pressed the snooze button.

"A bit grumpy this morning, are we ladies?" Suggested Rose. She chuckled and threw the pillow across the room towards Elizabeth, who was suspiciously missing one. Rose gathered her toiletries and almost waltzed into the bathroom. Rose was a morning person, she loved the fresh air and the quietness of the early day. It was comforting.

Rose showered quickly and dressed briskly, falling over in the process. She alway's feared that someone would intrude on her whilst in the middle of dressing. She moved to the mirror that was covered in steam from her shower and began to wipe, leaving just enough space to draw a love heart.

The dormitory was as quiet as ever when Rose exited the bathroom. She tip-toed to her bed and packed away her toiletries and checked her alarm clock, it was 6:15, she had plenty of time. Rose was about remove herself from the peaceful room when she tripped over a wooden case that lay at her feet.

She looked at the box curiously; it was filled with brand new quills of a reddish colour and lavender parchment that had been compressed together from layers of thin paper and feather. She only used this equipment for her writing and idea's. It seemed to be calling to her, enticing her. Rose huffed quietly.

"You've got me," She muttered. "Why are you so persuasive?"

Rose pulled the case towards her and opened it up. She carefully placed three sheets of her aromatic parchment on her bed and removed a delicate red quill. She took a bottle of ink from the left hand side of the case and dropped it slowly into her robe pocket. She quickly packed her box again and placed it under bed, then grabbed her beautiful stationery and left the dormitory quietly.

The common room was completely deserted when Rose entered it. She situated herself on the furthest table from the stairs and started to set up her possessions. She dipped her red quill into the ink and placed her quill on the parchment.

_Of all the terrible crimes Victoria Gismore had committed, this was the worst..._, Rose began to create her story. She let her quill flow freely and rarely let it stop. She scribbled and scratched at her paper, correcting and continuing. Rose did not stop until all pieces of parchment, both sides, had been filled with her neat and small scripture. She sighed, shaking her hand.

A warm hand touched her shoulder and Rose almost flew off her chair. She turned quickly to find Paul staring at her, he looked as startled as she did.

"Oh, hi P-Paul!" She said embarrassedly whilst scrambling around the table, concealing her parchment.

"I'm sorry," He said. "Did I scare you?"

"Oh, not at all!" Insisted Rose. She piled her papers together and hugged them close to her chest. "What time is it?"

Paul turned briefly to the grandfather clock that stood majestically by the staircase.

"It's about ten past seven."

Rose looked around frantically. If Paul hadn't broken her trance then she would have surely been discovered.

"Right," She muttered. "Why are you down here so early?"

Paul shrugged. "Everyone is beginning to wake up..." He paused for a moment. "You know how us boy's can be, a bit wild at times."

Rose laughed. "I suppose breakfast will be served soon. Perhaps we could head down now, take the long way?"

Paul nodded easily. "Alright, are you ready to go?"

Rose examined what she could of herself and then eyed her parchment.

"Give me a moment," She said. "I'll be right back."

She jogged up the stairs and rushed into her dormitory. Her friends were waking now and Holly was putting on her shoes.

"There you are!" She exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

Rose carefully placed her work inside the drawer on her side table. "Just in the common room, reading and other uneventful activities."

Elizabeth snickered. "Typical you."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm just about to go to breakfast with Paul, would anyone like me to save them a seat?"

Elizabeth gave her the thumbs up while gathering her belongings together. Her other two roommates, Grace and Evie were obviously in the bathroom.

"Holly?"

Her quirky friend looked up. "No, I'm coming now."

She almost danced across the room to Rose. "Ready?"

Rose grinned. "I was waiting for you!"

She turned her friend by the shoulders and pushed her playfully out of the room.

There were more students when the pair arrived in the common room.  
Paul was waiting on the couch that sat directly opposite the fireplace.

"Hi Paul!" Called Holly. She pulled him by the arm and marched towards the entrance hole. Paul signaled for Rose to keep up, she would surely fall behind at the pace Holly was walking.

The great hall was filling slowly when the trio arrived. They found a good spot by the back of the Gryffindor table and sat themselves in an odd shape. Holly and Rose sat side by side while Paul sat opposite Rose. Holly placed her leg on the seat next to her and Paul gave her an amused look.

"What?" She questioned innocently.

Rose sighed. She lugged her bag across the small space and placed it on the chair where Holly's leg was.

"That would make more sense." She said loudly and removed her leg from under Rose's bag.

"Albus can sit here," Declared Paul. "I think it would be nice if he didn't know he was forgotten."

The girls laughed. "Poor Albus." Mocked Holly.

The rest of breakfast progressed easily for the group. Rose tried to have a conversation with Paul and Holly while listening to Albus and Elizabeth gush over Quidditch try outs. It was a jolly first morning back. Well, it was jolly until Rose scanned the room casually to find Scorpius Malfoy staring at her. He didn't look unfriendly but he didn't look happy either. Rose blushed and turned away.

_What is it with boy's,_ She thought. _Why do they have to be so...odd?_. Of course not all boy's were odd, just the ones that bumped into and glared at you and then stared at you for a prolonged period of time.

Rose avoided the Slytherin table for the rest of the morning, trying to keep the conversation interesting so she could abolish her curiosity. It was very hard.

The morning was fresh, yet the sun shone brightly and was clearing the mist that coated the ground lightly. Rose walked carefully down the steep hill towards the less dense part of the forbidden forest. This was where her Care of Magical Creatures class was to be held, like almost every year before her.

Rose was surprisingly the only one of her group to choose the subject. Everyone else complained that it was too frustrating and _grubby_. Rose laughed at the word. She chose Care of Magical Creatures as her 'fun' subject. With all the other complicated subjects she would be taking this year, Rose needed a break subject, one that would require less mathematics and other complex requirements.

Once she reached the outskirts of the forest, where a small class was gathering, Rose dropped her bag on a nearby tree stump and started unpacking her only text book. She noticed that this class was a mix of students from all the four houses, and she was relieved to see that there was one other Gryffindor student in her class. Evie stood by herself, gazing at the ancient forest. She had long, straight black hair and wide, glassy eyes.

"Rose!" She called once she had come out of her trance. Rose waved and motioned for her friend to come over. The pair stood together and waited while the remainder of the class turned up.

"So," She said, trying to make small talk. "What classes do you have?"

Rose pulled out her timetable. "I'm taking Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures, and the compulsory classes of course."

Evie nodded. "I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes."

Rose smiled. It was so easy to like Evie. She was kind and smart, and very straight forward.

A plump woman of a height of five foot four with short curly hair and a rounded face waddled towards them. She wore a wide brimmed hat and what looked like gardening clothes. Rose would have mistaken her for a Herbology teacher if it weren't for her announcement at the welcome feast the previous night. She was a new member of staff on the Hogwarts grounds, after the school's groundkeeper 'Rubeus Hagrid' found it too much to teach.

"Good morning class." She called in her rough voice. The class came to order and formed an odd semi-circle around her. For the first time since Rose arrived, she began to notice all her classmates. There were quite a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, and very few Slytherins. She took in all their faces until she found one she had certainly not expected.

Scorpius Malfoy stood on the opposite side of the semi-circle from Rose. He was rolling the rocks and gravel beneath his foot, not really paying attention to the teacher. Rose shook her head slightly and turned her attention towards the plump woman.

"I'm Professor Bloomsbury, it's a pleasure to meet you all." She exclaimed. A floating quill and piece of parchment was floating next to her head. She clasped her hands together and rubbed them slowly.

"Right," She kicked her dirty bag to the side. "Today we will be starting on Fire Nims."

Everyone seemed to react to the word 'fire', even Rose.

"They are small creatures that resemble balls of red fluff and quite painful if they attatch themselves to your skin. Don't worry though, they are not dangerous at all and the stings can be easily relieved. They are only called 'Fire' Nims because of their stinging bite. I have brought some along for pairs today so I will place you in pairs and then you will go and study a box of them, just take one from the pile behind me and a table. Take down any notes you find relevant, it will be important."

Professor Bloomsbury yanked the parchment out of the air and examined her roll carefully. "Right, well you're all here."

Her finger traced the parchment carefully and she nodded. "Alright then, Evie Ringland and Nelson Briggs."

Evie left Rose's side and picked up a box of Fire Nim's, her partner carried their table and they moved away from the class.

"Let's see, June Williamson and George Brown."

Another pair moved away happily.

"Rose Weasley," She looked around at her classmates. _Anyone but him, anyone but him_, she thought. "And Scorpius Malfoy."

Rose's stomach did little flips. She cringed silently and reluctantly went to collect a box. Scorpius seemed to be just as irritated. They moved in silence to a place in the sun. Rose waited patiently for Scorpius to set up the table, all the while looking anywhere but at the blond boy that stood before her.

Once the table was set up, Rose placed the Fire Nims on the hard surface and the pair began to take notes. She constantly shot quick glances in Scorpius' direction to find him perfectly still but somehow pained. He didn't seem to be in a hostile mood today.

Rose wondered if she should start a conversation. _Perhaps it will lessen the tense atmosphere_, she suggested to herself. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Scorpius noticed this and edged ever so slightly further away. Rose opened her mouth again and this time, something did come out, although it wasn't what she had planned.

"Why don't you like me?" She fired at him. "Why were you so rude to me on the train? I apologised for bumping into you!"

Scorpius was startled, but he quickly composed himself. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Perhaps your clumsiness irritates me." He muttered coldly.

Rose felt her blood boil. What kind of an excuse was that? She clenched her fists.

"You _are_ very irritating." He added.

"Excuse me!" Rose snapped. "How dare you! That is a poor excuse for your rudeness."

Scorpius scoffed and turned back to his notes. She stood, glaring at him. She wasn't going to allow him to get away with rudeness.

"I'm sorry," She continued icily. "But the last time I checked, there weren't any prejudiced comments or actions between houses."

"Who said it had anything to do with house groups?" He muttered darkly.

"Oh, so it's our family history is it?" She questioned as if he were insane. "Your father didn't like my parents, so now you feel it is an obligation to dislike me?"

Scorpius gripped the table roughly and turned to face Rose. "I dislike you because I can." He stated. "I detest you because I am allowed to."

"Then you have a very unreasonable nature," Snapped Rose. "For that is an impossible reason. I have done nothing to deserve your hostility, but you have done much to receive mine."

Scorpius turned back to his work with a look of regret on his face and continued to write in silence. Rose copied his actions and began to scribble ferociously.

The lesson continued in a tense atmosphere, Rose and Scorpius threw dirty looks at each other whenever possible.

"Alright everyone!" Called Professor Bloomsbury. "Start packing up. Your homework tonight is a one page report on the Fire Nim. You will be able to research the creature further in your text books on page sixty three."

Scorpius snapped his leather bound book shut with a loud thud. He picked up the box of Fire Nim's and carried it away briskly. Rose looked longingly at the box, wishing she had tipped it 'accidentally' on Scorpius.

_Well, there go my enjoyable lessons_, She thought irritably whilst packing away the table. She grabbed her bag and shoved the parchement and quill inside then headed back up the steep hill towards the castle.

She could hear rushed footsteps behind her and turned around to find a red faced Evie catching her breath.

"Couldn't you wait?" She asked breathlessly. Rose felt a wave of guilt rush over her. She had been so busy thinking about all the possible reasons as to why Scorpius Malfoy could dislike her so much.

"Sorry Evie," She muttered. "I was a little caught up."

Evie frowned. "I know," She said quietly. "What was going on with you and Scorpius Malfoy? You looked like you were ready to stab him!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "He can be quite...obnoxious."

"It seemed a little more serious then that." She noted. "What did he do? Jab at your eye?"

She laughed. "No, but I would gladly poke out his."

Evie raised her eyebrows. "May I inquire as to why you would act so violently?"

"Later." Muttered Rose. She wanted to tell Holly before anyone else yet she knew the information would reach Albus, and knowing him, he wouldn't be happy. _Perhaps Scorpius is just having a rough day,_ she suggested to herself. _Or maybe he really is just insane._

Rose tightened the bag strap around her shoulder and pushed on up the hill. She had gained an unwanted enemy in the previous hour and knew that the dispute between her and the Slytherin could only get worse.


	4. Discovery

Chapter Four-Discovery

The morning progressed slowly; all students were only beginning to realize that they were in fact at school and had to be in class on time. Rose had never been more infuriated about her day. She had fought with a student whom she did not particularly want to engage in offensive and nasty activities, Scorpius Malfoy.

The image of his face in her mind was sickening and so Rose walked in haste to her potions class, trying to distract herself. She had avoided the topic of her small dispute with success, but the idea was eating her up, she needed to tell someone.

The classroom was dim and somewhat humid. The walls were made of hard stone, and the floor a similar surface, but stained with different substances from past potion classes. The desks were set out in a semi-circular build and on different levels, like an arena. The desks were built specifically for pairs as any more students working on the one potion would surely create havoc.

Rose sat herself at a desk up the very front of the room, directly opposite the professor's desk. She had a selfish habit of making sure the professor always saw her good behaviour and fantastic working skills. As she unpacked her books, she realized she was the first student for her class. Rose rolled her eyes at her silliness and pulled out the sheet of paper she had planned to use for her report on the Fire Nim. She dipped her quill in the ink and began to write. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far before the voices of her classmates sounded the classroom. She packed away her homework and waited patiently for Holly.

"Hi Rose!" Called a familiar voice. Rose turned to wave at her best friend who was almost dancing towards the desk.

"Hello Holly," She said politely. "Did you enjoy your first morning back?"

Holly nodded and fell into the chair beside Rose. "What about you?"

"Well," She said, trailing off. Rose sat awkwardly, twiddling her thumbs. How was she meant to tell Holly about the incident in Care of Magical Creatures?

"Rose, you're only ever this polite when you're avoiding a topic." Holly said suspiciously. She grabbed her friends arm suddenly and spun her in her stool. "What happened?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Nothing…really."

Holly raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Can I tell you about it later?" Asked Rose urgently for the professor had just entered the classroom.

Holly scrunched up her nose. "Fine."

Both girls turned towards the front of the room as a tall and lanky man with graying hair and a bald spot entered the classroom. He wore small, round glasses that sat below the bridge of his nose and a large grin.

"Good morning students!" He called to gain everyone's attention. The class came to an abrupt silence and settled in their seats. "I seem to have Gryffindor and Hufflepuff…excellent!"

Rose pulled out a quill and parchment to take notes. She knew from past experiences that Professor Appleby spoke quickly and crammed too much information into his speech.

He chuckled quietly. "Ah, Miss Weasley," He noted. "Always ready to learn."

Rose blushed violently as all of her classmates stared at her. Holly kicked her from underneath the table.

"Today and for the next few weeks," Said Professor Appleby, moving towards the blackboard. "We will be revising everything you have learned so far, from first year right up until sixth year."

The class groaned but Rose kept completely silent.

"Now students," Reasoned the Professor. "Think how greatly it will benefit your future! I thought today we would start off with the Forgetfulness Potion." And he began to write the ingredients on the board.

Rose started unpacking her potion kit and scales, Holly sat expectantly with her arms folded across her chest.

"Well?" She said urgently.

"Can we get started first?" Pleaded Rose. "We need to at least get half way through the potion before we start a conversation."

Holly shook her head stubbornly. "No, tell me now!"

Rose sighed. She tore off a bit of parchment and began to write.

It's nothing too bad. I just confronted and fought (verbally) with Scorpius Malfoy in COMC. Don't stress, you'll give the professor a heart attack.

She passed note to Holly inconspicuously and watched her study the parchment carefully. Her eyes widened and narrowed several times before she bent down and continued the conversation. Rose was adding three tablespoons of crushed monkshood when the note landed on her parchment.

What?! What did you fight over? Why did you confront him? Is it bad? You're both quite persistent people

Rose sighed and began to write whilst stirring the boiling water.  
She shoved the moonstone and knife onto Holly's side of the table.

"Can you continue with the potion?" She muttered. Holly rolled her eyes.

I confronted him because he was quite rude to me on the train and I wanted to know why. We fought over my confrontation. Scorpius Malfoy is very unreasonable. He told me he disliked me because he could, that's all! I retaliated and it went on from there...  
I wish I had tipped those Fire Nims on him. Oh well. See, it wasn't anything special.

Holly was just adding the moonstone when Rose passed her the note. The same routine continued throughout the whole lesson. They discussed the situation and analyzed the speech, much to the annoyance of Rose.

They just finished their potion when Professor Appleby called the class to attention.

"Very good work everyone," He called. "Although it was easy, it was still a good first lesson. Please pour a sample of your potion into the clear flasks at the back of the room and label your potions, then I would like you to drain the rest of your liquid and clean up."

The class followed his directions obediently and quickly. The Professor always left it until the last minute.

"You've had a good first day back then haven't you?" Teased Holly as Rose labeled the flask.

"Yes," Muttered Rose. "It's been the time of my life."

Holly laughed and went to drain the rest of their Forgetfulness Potion. Rose went to the sink to wash her hands; she watched the potion slip off her hands and into the drain.

Was her year going to slip away like that?

.................................................. .................................................. ...

The rest of the morning flew by like a bird in the sky. It was just after lunchtime and Rose had a free period before Defense Against the Dark Arts. She sat by the lake with all her books and homework from her previous classes. One page report on the Fire Nim...check, Advantages and Disadvantages of the Forgetfulness Potion, three hundred words...check, the proper uses of Transfiguration, the process of transforming and the definition  
...check!

Rose leaned back against the old tree she was resting under. She had completed most of her homework for the day and felt she deserved a break. She closed her eyes, imagining...nothing. She was tired from her first day back and could only see sleep in her mind.

"Excuse me," Came a nervous voice from in front of Rose. She opened her eyes to find a scared looking Ravenclaw first year with all of his books crammed into his brand new school bag.

"Hello," Said Rose with a warm smile. "Are you alright?"

The first year boy frowned. "No, not really."

Rose stood up slowly. "How can I help you?"

"Well," He said in a rush. "I can't find my next class; I'm supposed to be in the dungeons for potions. I don't really know where I am going."

Rose frowned. "Oh dear. I'll give you directions. It will be no good just telling you, let me write it down."

She turned to face her back and quickly pulled out some ink, a quill and a piece of parchment. She wrote quickly and fluently, making sure the instructions were easy to understand.

"There," She said, handing the parchment to the stressed first year. "These should help."

"Thank you." He said, seeming to understand the directions. He turned and ran off into the castle. Rose watched after him and noticed something shiny drop out of his bag.

"Wait!" She called, but he was too far away to hear her. Rose walked cautiously towards the object that had fallen from his bag. She bent over and picked it up to find that the object was a pendent. It was a deep red gem of some sort, encased in a golden locket with delicate patterns and shapes. Rose gazed at the beautiful necklace, almost in a trance.

She turned and headed towards her spot again, placing the pendent carefully in her pocket. I'll have to return it when I see him again, she thought, I didn't even get his name.

Rose sat herself against the tree once more, pulling out a novel she kept close to her. While she was reading, her mind kept wandering back to the pendent. She pulled it out of her pocket and examined it carefully. It was old and faded somehow, yet it looked to hold a lot of history.

She held it to the light and gasped. Engraved into the gem was a single name, Rose.


	5. Duel

Chapter Five-**Duel**

The next week passed by in a rush. Rose and Scorpius continued to taunt and tease each other; it had become a daily routine and was becoming less and less irreversible.

Rose hated Scorpius Malfoy with a passion yet she knew that somewhere beneath all of her hostility was a small and reasonable voice, telling her that this dispute was nonsense. She had no real reason to hate Scorpius, only that he was disrespectful and obnoxious. Rose was easily irritated though, and it made her all the more mad.

The strange pendent she had discovered not so long ago was also bothering her. She couldn't help but admire the finely crafted jewelry piece and wonder, who was Rose?

She and her seventh year friends were walking towards the great hall for lunch on a rather sun filled day, discussing their classes and professors.

"He's utterly mad," Exclaimed Holly, buried in her homework. "I really think this time Professor Appleby has gone completely bonkers!"

Rose hit her on the shoulder lightly. "Stop being such a loud mouth." She scolded.

"The Professors have their motives," Reasoned Paul. "Some we won't understand now, but we will probably appreciate them later."

Paul flashed a look of curiosity in Rose's direction, she couldn't help but notice. Holly grumbled into her papers before shoving them into Rose's unaware arms.

"What the-" Said Rose, fumbling around with the loose sheets. "Holly, what are you doing?"

"Hold them for a moment please," She said, bending towards her bag. "Let me find something."

Rose blew a strand of hair from her face and tapped her foot impatiently. "Hurry up Holly!"

Her best friend waved her off and continued searching in her over stretched bag.

Paul pretended to be deeply struck by a nearby portrait of young child when Rose nudged him softly. He turned to look at her, furrowing his brows.

"Why did you give me that look just then?" She questioned her voice thick with curiosity.

He smiled knowingly. "I think that the situation between you and Scorpius Malfoy is completely unnecessary."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You sound just like Albus...although he was slightly biased. Please tell me the truth? I know you're all concerned, but please, I may have developed a strong dislike for him, and yes, the feeling is mutual, but this is between me and him. Don't do anything rash."

Paul smiled. "Me? Rash?" He laughed quietly. "I gave you 'that' look because...it's like Holly and the Professor. You may not like things now, and you probably don't understand them, but...in the future, I know you will learn to appreciate him."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "When did you develop seer abilities?"

Paul was just about to open his mouth when Holly stood up and cut the pair off. She quickly snatched the papers from Rose and shoved them in her bag.

"Alright then," She said happily. "Ready?"

Rose started to walk, completely absorbed in Paul's words. Was Paul right? She wasn't sure, but he did sound rational.

"Wait up!" Called a familiar voice. Rose turned to see Albus running towards them, his face beaming with pleasure. "Hi everyone," He said when he had caught his breath. "Have I got some news for you!"

The three Gryffindors turned eagerly in his direction, ready to hear his news.

"I just-"

"Aww, isn't that cute?" Came another familiar voice, this time, unwelcome.

Rose's back stiffened and she turned around the find Scorpius and his friends walking past rather slowly.

"Look at the ickle Gryffindors, all huddled around for some exciting news. What is it this time? You have finally realised that you're all dim witted fools?" He chuckled with satisfactory, but none of his friends looked pleased, all but one.

Estella Harrington was what you would call clingy. She absolutely adored Scorpius and it was clearly not a secret. She reminded Rose of a doll, except over the years had lost the roundness around her face. She sported gleaming blue eyes and long black hair that was always tied into a high bun. Scorpius had always shown interest in the seventh year Slytherin until their fourth year, when he suddenly pushed her away.

"Stopping to admire the view?" Mocked Rose. "We are rather beautiful aren't we?"

"I was thinking you were something more of a freak show." He sneered.

"Well I hear your father is something of a freak in the wizarding world nowadays," She snapped. "It's clear you have inherited the freak gene too. You don't want to be hypocritical."

Scorpius' whole body stiffened, his hand slowly reached for his wand. Rose couldn't believe her own mouth, how could she have said such a thing? Her gut turned inside out and back again, making her want to throw up.

"Filthy mudblood." He whispered icily. Those words blew her away and she almost stumbled back into the wall. Albus had taken too much of this and stood in front of Rose.

"What did you just day?" Asked Albus coldly, his hand was too reaching for his wand.

Scorpius said nothing; he was now pulling out his wand, as was Albus. Rose wanted to scream at them, tell them to stop, but she couldn't. The hatred was pulsing through her veins, flowing out her passageways, beating in her heart. Paul and Holly came to stand beside her, Paul's hand firmly gripped around her arm and Holly's arm around her shoulders.

Everyone who was within the ancient walls was silent, watching the pair with concerned and frightened eyes.

Scorpius was faster then Albus. He drew his wand swiftly and raised it in the same motion.

"Stupefy!" He shouted and pointed his wand at Albus.

Albus deflected the spell easily and raised his wand. "Aguamenti!"

A fountain of water flew from Albus' wand in great force and almost hit Scorpius. He dived out of the way and quickly gained his cautious stance.

Aguamenti was a rather odd spell to be cast, but Rose couldn't care less. Her less noble side was telling her that Scorpius should go to hell. Yet her more noble side told her she was frightened and didn't want either of them to fall injured.

Scorpius held his wand in Albus' direction but said nothing. He narrowed his eyes at her cousin and stood there for a fraction of a second before regaining his defense position.

"Aparecium!" He cried and a pool of black ink was just centimeters from Albus' face. He had no time to dodge the sudden spell and was almost drowned in ink.

Somewhere between recovering from the ink splatter, Albus managed to cast another incantation.

The duel continued in its formal manner for another ten minutes before Albus lost his wand and instead, charged at Scorpius and punched him in the face. Scorpius managed to push Albus away with a sudden blast of wind that shot through his wand.

The pair were crouched on the ground, gasping for air. Both were worn out and clearly done with the duel. Rose broke free from her friend's firm grasps and rushed to Albus.

"What in world were you thinking?" She snapped quietly. "Are you insane?"

"Rose," He said in an icy tone. "Move away."

Rose shook her head and glared at Scorpius who was talking in hushed tones to his friends. She looked again at Albus who was raising his wand, a spell playing around his lips. Scorpius noticed this and grabbed at his wand.

Rose's eyes widened when she realised what spell was being uttered from Albus. Her breathing became uneasy and her fists clenched and unclenched. Sweat was forming at her temples and hair line.

"Al..." She whispered.

Her uncle had told her and Albus about a spell he had used in his sixth year at Hogwarts. A most dangerous spell he would never again use for it was gruesome and anguishing just to watch.

Holly came and placed an arm around Rose. "Are you okay?" She muttered.

Rose did not lose focus on Albus. The spell was coming out now and she felt like screaming.

"Albus, don't you dare!"

Holly looked confused and tightened her arms around Rose.

"Sectumsempra!" He shouted. Rose went pale in the face and stumbled backwards. She immediately looked to Scorpius who could not dodge the spell.

Small but vicious gashes started to form around Scorpius' face, arms, anywhere that could be seen. He fell back to the floor, squirming in pain. A pool of blood was rapidly forming around Scorpius' weak figure.

There was a horrible shudder from next to Rose and she turned to quickly see Holly's eyes rolling backwards. Her best friend had fainted and was collapsing onto the ground. With Holly's arm still firmly around Rose's, she too went tumbling to the floor. Rose managed a high pitched scream that had been building from the beginning of the duel.

She felt her head hit the floor with a terrible crack, the pain seared through her skull for only a second until everything went black.


	6. Bad Behaviour

Chapter Six-**Bad Behaviour**

The light glimmered under her heavy lids. Through her thick lashes, Rose could make out a white ceiling with very few cob webs. She closed and opened her eyes once more before resisting the heaviness of her eye lids. She forced them open and peered around.

She was clearly in a bed; her whole body was sweltering under the thick sheets. The room was brightly lit and fresh. Rose turned her head to look at a spotless side table to find her mahogany wand and a large glass of water that had gathered dust at the top. She sat up slowly, staring at her surroundings.

There was a long line of single beds stretching across the whole room on the opposite side of Rose; each had a bar around the top of them, supporting curtains. She turned to her side of the room to find the exact same display of beds. Rose blinked again and again until it sunk it; she was in the hospital wing.

Rose flopped back into her bed, but immediately regretted the decision after receiving a jab of pain at the back of her head. She hesitantly reached to the back of her head and traced it until she found a bump. She cringed at the injury and rolled onto her other side.

A large curtain was drawn around the next bed; Rose could just make out a figure behind the creased fabric due to the sunlight. _Dear me,_ she thought sadly, _I wonder what happened to them._

Flashes of flying spells burst into her mind. There was Albus and Scorpius and nothing else. And then the image of a sunken body in a pool of blood filled her mind, the figure was crying in pain from his brutal injuries. _THE DUEL!_ Thought Rose quickly.

She threw the sheets off her body and jumped out of the cozy bed, despite the dizziness that swept her body.

"Oh no you don't," Came a highly sophisticated voice. "You get back into that bed Miss Weasley!"

Rose turned hesitantly to see Madam Pomfrey bustling down the wide aisle towards her, robes of silver and yellow billowing everywhere. She froze on the spot, determining whether to make a run for it or not. The nurse pushed her forcefully back into the bed and yanked the sheets over her once more.

"But Madam Pomfrey," Complained Rose. "I have to stop the duel!"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head in a frustrated manner. "No dear, the duel is long over."

She turned to the bedside table and began to pour a green substance onto a tablespoon. Rose furrowed her brows. _What did Madam Pomfrey mean?_

"What time is it?" She questioned. "How l-long have I been h-here?"

The nurse shoved the spoon into her mouth.

"Take this," She encouraged. "You will feel much better. You hit your head rather harshly my dear, you were knocked out cold when they brought you to me. Nothing compared to that poor boy though. Only Professor McGonagall could heal that Scorpius Malfoy, cut up badly he was....oh yes! You have been here since yesterday lunchtime. It's about eleven am, you're friends promised they would visit you soon."

Rose tried to concentrate on the nurses rambling, she was confused. She had been here since yesterday. Did that mean the duel was yesterday? Scorpius Malfoy was in the wing too? She looked to the hidden hospital bed and let out a low gasp.

"What happened, Madam Pomfrey?" She asked frantically. "I hardly remember anything."

The nurse looked up sadly. "I'm afraid I don't know dear. I wasn't filled in on anything except that there had been a damaging duel between two students. You may need one of your friends to inform you." She gave Rose an apologetic look and hurried down the aisle once more and into her office.

Rose curled her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. She was praying someone would visit her; she needed to know what was going on.

There was sudden shuffling and moaning coming from the concealed bed. Rose watched cautiously as the figure, who she assumed to be Scorpius Malfoy, turned restlessly. She narrowed her eyes at her anguished enemy. She wasn't going to help him! He had called her a mudblood, she wasn't even sure if that was the case. Both her mother and father possessed magical abilities, only her mother's family were muggles. Rose thought of herself as half. That wasn't going to affect her opinion of the...unreasonable, selfish, unsophisticated, repulsive boy that lay next to her.

The moaning continued for a little while longer, Rose sat with a bored expression in her bed, fiddling with her wand as her only source of entertainment. Suddenly, the noise from behind the curtain ceased. She whipped her head in Scorpius' direction, much to the protest of her aching head. _Maybe I should see if he is dead or not,_ wondered Rose, _Do I actually need to see the horrendous damage though?_

She decided it couldn't hurt to check on him, what's the worst that could happen? Rose tip toed out of the hospital bed and towards his. She gripped the curtain lightly, hesitantly, before pulling them open ever so slowly and only just enough for her to fit through.

Scorpius was lying perfectly flat on his back with his eyes closed, one arm resting by his side and the other above his head. The damage was not nearly as bad as Rose though it would be. There was minor scarring across his face, mainly on his chin and lower cheek. He was paler then usual however, and this would be due to the tremendous blood loss. Only one scar really stood out. It was red and thick as it stretched from his jaw bone to the bottom of his cheek bone.

Rose bit her lip. Despite the hatred that flooded the space between them, she could feel pity too. What had happened to Scorpius was something no one should have to experience. She wanted the reach out and trace the scar on his face, but knew she might've ended up strangling him instead.

"I hate you so much right now," She muttered both to herself and him. "I really do."

Rose turned and made to leave the injured student when he spoke clearly. Almost as if his injury was a fake.

"Have you come to murder me?" Teased Scorpius. "No need for that, the medicine is already doing a mighty good job."

She turned and glared at the heartless boy. "It's too bad you didn't die back at the duel."

"I almost did," He snapped. "Say thank you to your cousin for me, and tell him that I'll catch up to him soon. I'd like to get better acquainted with the ever so gallant Albus Potter."

"Over my dead body," Snapped Rose. "This is between me and you, not your friends or my friends, your family or my family. It is our hatred and not theirs."

"You are a nasty piece of work," He noted. "Probably a coward to. Why are you in the hospital wing? Because of a bump on the head. Why am I n the hospital wing? Because I almost died. Why did your idiotic cousin duel me, and not you?"

Rose glared at him for a fraction of a second. She wasn't going to stand there and absorb his vulgar insults. She stormed towards his bed and raised her hand. Despite the vicious cuts he had received earlier, she slapped him, right across the face.

It was a minute before either of them had worked out what happened. Rose was still fuming but didn't leave. She waited for Scorpius' reaction. It never came. He stared into space, completely ignoring Rose.

She yanked open the curtains, concealing her eyes which were welling up with tears. She didn't bother to close them again; instead, she threw her sheets over her and curled into a little ball. Rose had used up her energy just fighting with Scorpius. She closed her eyes slowly and let the fatigue take her.

.................................................. .................................................. ....

"Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure, why don't you slap her?"

"Tristan!"

"What, it could work!"

"Please be quiet, just let her sleep."

Rose groaned. Who was disturbing her sleep? She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. Huddled over her were five familiar faces. Albus, Paul, Elizabeth, Tristan and Laura were standing over her hospital bed, she felt quite claustrophobic.

"You're awake!" Exclaimed Elizabeth. "It's about time too."

"We were just about to slap you," Added Tristan. "It could've worked."

"You were," Scolded Laura. "Not us."

"Elizabeth was willing," Murmured Paul, his eyes didn't leave Rose's face.

Rose smiled. "Hello everyone, I'm glad you decided to show up."

Everyone burst out in protests, giving excuses as to why they were late. Rose scrunched up her face, she didn't need to hear their excuses, she was only glad she had better company.

Her head turned towards Albus who was being unusually quiet. She to wanted yell and scream at him for being so foolish and juvenile but didn't have the strength.

"Hello Al, you weren't in the hospital wing were you?"

He shook his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She answered truthfully. Everyone was silent for a moment. Rose took in all their faces, relieved that someone had come. She frowned.

"Where's Holly?"

The group looked around nervously. Rose started to panic.

"Well," Said Elizabeth. "She's being...she is having a meeting with Professor McGonagall..."

Rose's eyes widened. "What? Why is she meeting with the Headmistress?!"

Paul knelt down and gripped her hand. "McGonagall wants to have a meeting with every student involved in the duel. Holly should be here any minute, I've already had mine, and Albus is next. Most of the Slytherin's went this morning."

Rose closed her eyes and breathed heavily. "Can someone please tell me the consequences?"

"We don't know," Answered Albus. "We're all receiving different punishments. I assume mine and...that Slytherin's will be worse then yours."

She placed her hands over her face, forcing Paul the let go. "That is brilliant." She muttered into her hands. "Absolutely fantastic."

There was a sudden boom and the Hospital Wing's heavy doors flew open. The whole group turned to find Holly storming down the aisle with an unreadable expression.

"Miss Aberdene," Begged Madam Pomfrey who had flown out of her office. "Be quiet, we have patients trying to rest."

"Sorry Madam Pomfrey," Muttered Holly. "I assure you though; some people do need to be punished." She shot a maddening glance in Scorpius' direction, and then one at Albus.

"Holly," Teased Tristan. "If you want to make a dramatic entrance, please go somewhere else, where people aren't dying."

She huffed unnecessarily and pushed into the group.

"Hi Holly," Muttered Rose. "How are you?"

"Don't be silly!" Exclaimed Holly. She threw her arms around Rose and gave her bone crushing hug.

"Alright everyone," Said Elizabeth. "Let's give the ladies a moment to reunite."

The group shuffled out of the hospital wing with looks of regret, especially Paul.

"The question is," Corrected Holly. "How are you?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I am perfectly healthy. It is only a small bruise on my head, which is actually your fault...how did you manage to stay out of the hospital wing?"

"Well," Said Holly. "Erm...my head landed on your school bag..."

"Of course," Said Rose knowingly. "Only your head would fall on a school bag to save you from concussion."

The area was silent for a moment. Rose glared at the hidden bed; she had a feeling he was listening.

"I had a meeting with Professor McGonagall." She said quietly.

Rose nodded. "How was it?"

"I didn't have a lot to say," She admitted. "I told her about everything that had been happening with you and Scorpius and what had happened before the duel."

"I can see where this is going," Muttered Rose. "This is going to be horrific. I need to keep a perfect record and marks but I'm not sure I can do that with this situation. You know how easy it is for me to stress."

Holly grabbed her shoulders and shook them. "Calm down!"

"Holly," Whined Rose. "Stop s-shaking me!"

She ceased the violent wake up call and both girls took a deep breath. There was a loud clatter on the floor and the Hospital wing fell silent. Rose held her breath. She slowly reached towards her robe pocket but couldn't find the object she wanted. She bit her lip.

"What's this?"

Rose whipped her head around the find Holly examining the pendent. She gulped.

"Err...nothing," She panicked. "I have to return it to someone, can I have it back?"

"It's beautiful," Holly gushed. "It's absolutely-why does it say Rose?!"

Rose closed her eyes. "I don't know Holly; it's not mine, now please-"

"Where did you get that?!" Came a new voice. Both girls turned to find Scorpius staring at the pendent. He was gripping the curtain for support.

"It's none of your business, Malfoy," Snapped Holly. "Go away and sulk."

"Give that to me!" He demanded. "That's mine!"

"No it's not!" Retorted Rose. She stood up and snatched the pendent from Holly. "I found it, it belongs to someone else. How dare you try and claim it!"

"It was my family's pendent," He yelled. "I want it back!"

"It's not yours!" Yelled Rose. "Why are you being so rude?"

"Because I need it!'

"No, it's not yours!"

"Yes, it is! It is my family's!"

"No, it belongs to a first year! I clearly saw him drop it out of his bag!"

"Then he's a thief!"

"You're a thief!" Yelled Rose and Holly in unison.

"Dear me!" Called Madam Pomfrey. "What is going on out here?"

The hospital doors swung open and Paul, Elizabeth, Tristan and Laura came running onto the scene.

"What's going on?" Called Elizabeth. "Another duel already?"

There was uproar of yelling and threats. Rose stuffed the pendent inside her robe pocket and glared at Scorpius.

"Alright, alright!" Shouted Madam Pomfrey. The room fell quiet and all eyes were now on the tired look nurse. "All visitors please remove yourselves from the Hospital Wing immediately."

The group turned reluctantly and left the scene.

"Where's Albus?" Rose heard Holly Whisper.

"He's gone to have a meeting with McGonagall." Tristan Replied.

Rose jumped back into her bed as did Scorpius. The pair sat in silence, watching Madam Pomfrey.

"Headmistress McGonagall and I have arranged for you, Miss Weasley, to leave the Hospital Wing in half an hour for you to go to her office." She stated. "Mr. Malfoy, you are to see her tonight as well. Now, for heavens sake, please keep to yourselves."

Madam Pomfrey turned on her heel and rushed down the aisle. Rose fiddled with her fingers, keeping her eyes anywhere but on Scorpius. She was sure he was doing to same.

"I don't know what you're doing Scorpius," Said Rose. "But this pendent is not yours, and nothing you say or do will make me give it to you."

"Do you want to bet?" He questioned darkly.

"Yes, I do."


	7. Letters

Chapter Seven-**Letters**

Her footsteps kept in time with her heart beat, quick and loud. She walked through arch after arch, corridor after corridor, dreading her final destination. Rose fiddled with her fingers nervously, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground.

_I can't get expelled, I won't let it happen!_ She fretted and shoved her thumb in her mouth, chewing on the nail viciously. _She wouldn't expel me! If she did, my life would be over and done with! My record can't drop; I have to keep a sophisticated reputation no matter what.  
I'm going to apologize to Scorpius Malfoy and put a stop to all this nonsense. _

Rose came to a stop outside the stone gargoyle she rarely had to see. She cleared her throat and stood forward, removing all traces of panic from her face.

"Tarantallegra." She spoke clearly and directly.

The gargoyle sprung to life. It swished its wings before holding its lifeless position again. The ground beneath it shook gently and a spiraled stair case emerged from the ground. Rose stood hesitantly onto one of the steps and clung to the eagle's wing for support as the stairs shook unsteadily.

The structure came to a sudden stop outside a tall wooden door. It was a dark wood, highly polished with an eagle door knocker at its centre. Rose slowly took the brass eagle in her hand and knocked twice. She felt sick, too sick to be safe.

"Come in." called a firm voice.

Rose bit her lip. She turned the handle slowly and pushed open the office door. The Headmistress' office was amazing. It had objects of all shapes and sizes. There were many that Rose had never heard of. Everything was ancient somehow, yet cleanly and civilized. Behind the headmistress' desk were the portraits of all the old headmasters and headmistress'. The most recent was the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. Rose had discovered that almost all of the objects that resided in Professor McGonagall's office were once his.

"Ah, Miss Weasley," Said Professor McGonagall. "Sit down, please."

The headmistress had a severe look. Her hair was tied into a high bun, a loose strand of hair nowhere to be seen. Her eyes were hidden behind square glasses that emphasized her already penetrating glare.

The headmistress watched her like a hawk as she nervously sat in the visitor's chair. Rose looked at her feet before staring into the sharp eyes of her headmistress. Professor McGonagall folded her hands together and frowned.

"Miss Weasley," she began. "I am most unimpressed by your behaviour. You of all people should know that fighting with another student is unacceptable, especially at your age."

"Sorry Professor." Muttered Rose. She swallowed loudly and bit her tongue to stop her from bursting with excuses.

"Although you were not involved with the duel," She continued. "Your punishments will be firm. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy will be spending every lunchtime for the next week in detention with me. You will join them for two of those days. Letters have been sent home to your families and twenty points will be lost to your houses."

_Detention?_ Rose had never received one throughout her schooling life. She closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. _House Points?_ She had only ever gained points.

"Y-Yes Professor."

"Good," Said Professor McGonagall. "Now, whatever it is that is going on between you and Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you sort yourselves out and put a stop to this nonsense."

Rose nodded. She stood from her chair and almost ran to the door.

"Miss Weasley?"

Rose turned hesitantly and watched the headmistress' face soften ever so slightly.

"I am sorry," She stated. "But there needs to be consequences."

Rose smiled forcefully and exited the office, feeling relief wash over her. She was on the verge of hyperventilation inside the office and was glad to be rid of the pressure.

She had been so careless. She was frightened of what everyone might think of her, even her family and closest friends.

She walked in haste back to the Gryffindor common room, feeling the curious stares of the portraits surrounding her.

"Isn't that the girl?"

"I believe so."

"Shocking behaviour."

"Oh, give her a break."

Rose clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath. Did the portraits realize she could hear them? She came to a halt outside the portrait of a rather large lady who sat on a chair with a superior grin on her face.

"Password?" She asked giddily. It was clear she had been drinking.

"Aparecium." Rose said. She realized that it was the same spell Scorpius had used in the duel and flinched at the word.

The portrait swung open and Rose climbed inside, her eyes darting from side to side to make sure she wouldn't be bombarded with questions.

The Gryffindor common room was completely empty. Rose assumed that everyone had gone to dinner and breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to the armchair closest to the blazing fire and fell back stiffly, putting her face in her hands. She had never been in so much trouble at Hogwarts and this worried her. Rose had been a perfect student until she spoke to Scorpius, until she even gave him that much thought.

"Pathetic, obnoxious fruit cake." She muttered aimlessly. Rose couldn't think logically, she was speaking randomly in order to entertain herself in this isolation, and it made her uncomfortable.

_Oh come on Rose,_ she thought worriedly. _You __**are not**__ going insane. You are completely overreacting._

To take her mind away from the stress of the afternoon, Rose pulled the pendent from her robe pocket and examined it once more. Why in the world did it have her name engraved in the stone? It obviously wasn't Rose, but this other being that shared her name interested her.

Rose searched the pendent further, trying to find anything that might give her insight into the mysterious other Rose. As she was searching, she discovered tiny words engraved around the edges of the golden case. Rose squinted, trying to read the scripture.

_To my darling Rose,_ it read, _my heart is with you forever, and as long as it remains in your possession, the love will cascade from its depths. Till we meet again, Walt._

Rose released her breath slowly. She had been holding it in since she had begun reading the love message. She smiled warmly, gazing at the pendent and all of its hidden perplexity.

_Rose and Walt,_ she thought simply. _Who were they? They must have been in love...very much in love. Why was that first year in possession of the pendent? A family heirloom perhaps?_

She wanted to delve deeper into the mystery of the pendent but couldn't, for the students of Gryffindor were returning from dinner. Rose yanked open her robe pocket and quickly but gently placed it inside.

She jumped to her feet and flew half way up the stairs. There, Rose waited patiently for a minute until the common room had filled. She started to walk down the stairs again in a casual manner, giving the impression that she had not just flown across the room like an idiot out of embarrassment.

Rose knew the situation had changed since she'd been in the hospital wing for all of her friends were talking excitedly in a close group by the fire. She crept to their meeting place quietly and listened, keeping very still.

"I don't' believe it," said Holly, completely astonished. "That was unexpected!"

"Are you kidding Holly?"

"Yeah, it was always going to happen!"

"Oh yes," said her cousin Lily in a giggly voice. "Ever since James caught them snogging at the train station, it was certainly a possibility."

Rose blinked. What were they talking about? She was about to reveal her presence when Albus cut across the whole group.

"Teddy and Victoire," said Albus. "They're actually getting married!"

"What?!" yelled Rose. That was completely unexpected.

The whole group turned to stare in her direction. Their expressions changed from shock to amusement in a flash.

"Hi Rose," said Hugo. "Have you come to hear the good news?"

Rose ignored her brothers mocking tone and looked to Albus for an explanation. "Teddy and Victoire are getting married?"

It wasn't a bad thing at all, no matter how much her tone made out like so. Rose was shocked, but certainly happy.

Albus held out the letter to her and she took it quickly, waltzing away into a more secluded part of the room. She held the letter to her face and examined the writing. It was clearly her aunt Ginny's. The scrawl was rushed, as if she were too excited to use proper grammar or spelling.

The letter read...

Dear Albus, Lily, Rose and Hugo,

The most exciting news has occurred today! I am **verry** pleased to report that Teddy and **Vctoire** are engaged! Isn't that fantastic? Rose and Hugo, your father almost had a heart attack! Everyone is so **appy**!  
The date is not exact but Teddy and Victoire are considering the Christmas **holdays**. So soon isn't it?  
I will send another letter soon with more news!  
How is school? Is **everyting** okay? Albus, I want a word with you! Rose, be careful.  
Have fun everybody!

Love,  
Ginny

Rose folded the letter and sighed. _Rose, be careful. I know what aunt Ginny is implying. Oh well, at least I haven't received a letter from mum and dad...yet. But Teddy and Victoire are getting married!_

She smiled contently and returned to her family and friends. "This is fantastic!"

The group nodded and murmured in agreement. Rose handed the letter back to Albus and raised her eyebrows.

"Albus, I want a word with you!" Rose mimicked the letter mockingly.

"Rose, be careful." He teased.

She poked her tongue at him and looked to Paul. His smile faded and was replaced with a frown. Rose frowned to.

"What's the matter?" She asked concernedly.

"How did your meeting with McGonagall go?" He asked quietly. Everyone looked Rose's way too.

"Fine," She muttered. "It's all ok now, though I'm not looking forward to detention. Two afternoons...yuck!"

Albus gaped. "You get two days?" He asked, dumbfounded. "I have to spend a week with that git!"

"Sorry Al," Rose spoke in an authorotive tone. "But you started the duel, not me."

Lily coughed. "Can we not dwell on the negative?" She smiled cheekily at Rose before turning to Albus. "I'm sure you have more...productive things to do then complain about detention."

Albus blushed and folded away the letter, placing it in his pocket. Rose stared at him questioningly but he only shook his head. "You'll find out in a second."

Rose huffed and looked to Lily. "What's going on?"

Paul chuckled and she looked to him. "You're going to find out right now."

The group looked to the portrait hole as Elizabeth climbed through tiredly. She looked to us and rolled her eyes, and then to Albus. The pair exchanged a meaningful look before Albus moved towards her and whispered warmly in her ear.

Rose tried to keep her jaw from dropping but was defeated easily. She looked to Lily who had engaged in a conversation with Paul. Hugo was looking elsewhere, in fact, in the direction of two fifth year girls and Rose was standing by her lonesome self.

"I see," she muttered to herself. "Teddy and Victoire are getting married, Elizabeth and Albus are now going out, Hugo's hormones are kicking into gear, Lily seems interested in Paul, although we have known that all along, Holly's disappeared to god knows where and I'm just...blah!"

Rose was about to leave for the dormitories when a large letter in a white envelope flew through the room, dodging the shocked Gryffindor's. It hovered in front of Rose's hands and poked at them roughly. She cringed, it was a howler.

The whole room had gone silent, staring at the letter that Rose was opening reluctantly. A few students even put their fingers in their ears.

As soon as the envelope lid had been removed, the letter burst from her hands and hovered just in front of her face. Rose closed her eyes tightly and scrunched her mouth together.

"Rose Weasley!" Yelled her father. "What is going on? You shouldn't be fighting with that blasted Scorpius Malfoy, he's no good for you! Your mother and I are very disappointed in you and know that however Professor McGonagall decides to discipline you, it will be for your own good! My word, you're in a lot of trouble young lady! If that blasted Scorpius Malfoy hurts-"

Her father's voice ceased for a moment as her mother cut across. "Ron! Don't say that!"

There were more muffled words before the letter ripped itself into tiny shreds and fell to the ground slowly. The room remained perfectly silent, waiting for Rose's reaction, which never came.

Holly bustled quickly towards the front of the room and cleared her throat. "Alright everyone, stop staring and get on with your lives!"

The Gryffindors slowly started to move away again, but always looked back at Rose in case of a proper reaction.

"Are you alright?" questioned Holly. "That was a nasty one wasn't it?"

"Yes," agreed Rose, rubbing her eyes. 'It was indeed."

"So, do you want to sit down?"

Rose shook her head. She signaled to the stairs and Holly nodded understandingly. "I'll come up before my patrol to make sure you're alright."

But Rose didn't respond. She was already halfway up the stairs, fighting hyperventilation. How could someone be embarrassed, shocked, happy, upset, slightly jealous and lonely all in ten minutes?

Rose threw open the dormitory door and flung herself onto her bed. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, she wasn't feeling very well.


	8. Into The Forest

Chapter Eight-**Into the Forest**

Over the next few days, the situation between Rose and Scorpius had almost resigned. The pair no longer made snide comments or rude gestures, and at all costs, they avoided eye contact.

Rose had been miserable since the howler had made it's scene in the Gryffindor Common room. She was now working twice as hard; making sure her school work was perfect. This, however, left little time for her friends. They constantly watched her, making sure she wouldn't do anything regretful...like jumping off the astronomy tower.

She wasn't depressed, or suicidal for that matter. Rose just needed to clear her head. She had disappointed her family and professors, something she swore she would never do on her first day at Hogwarts. Rose assured herself and those around her that she would renew that promise so that she could get back on track with her life.

"Yoo hoo," called Holly. "Rose? Are you there?"

Rose awoke from her silent daydream. She looked to Holly with a confused expression.

"S-Sorry?"

Holly huffed loudly. "Are you alright Rose? You've been distracted lately, and it's bothering us...all of us."

Rose nodded convincingly. "I am completely fine." Holly pursed her lips, but didn't press the matter. That was a first for her.

The pair walked in silence, making their way back to the Gryffindor common room after a rather complicated Transfiguration lesson. The class was learning a difficult sequence in which the student started with a small and simple object, transfiguring it into larger and than smaller objects which varied from animate to inanimate.

"Have you still got that pendent?" Questioned Holly. She eyed Rose's pocket accusingly.

"Oh..um, yes actually," admitted Rose. "I haven't found the first year it belongs to. Why do you ask?"

Holly hadn't asked about the pendent since it fell out of Rose's pocket in the hospital wing. Everyone had been so caught up in Teddy and Victoire's recent engagement to worry about strange pendants.

"You're obsessed with it," she sighed, keeping her eyes firmly on Rose's. "You're always looking at it, studying it. What's going on? Is there anything I should know, I mean, if you want to tell your best friend?"

Rose bit her lip guiltily. It was probably a good idea to tell Holly.

"Well, do you remember how _Rose_ was engraved into the stone?" she asked quietly.

Holly nodded eagerly. She leaned in closer, pressing the subject.

"I found a message around the outside of the golden case. It was a love message, and it was addressed to Rose from Walt."

"Who's Walt?" Asked Holly, losing her place already.

"I'm not sure," said Rose. "But I was thinking about the young boy who lost the pendent and Scorpius when he tried to take it away. There was something on the message, about meeting again someday, so I thought..."

Rose trailed off. What had she thought? It didn't sound as possible when she spoke about it with other people. Holly stroked her chin softly, lost in thought. The girls walked on, thinking about Rose's unfinished theory.

"Aha!" shouted Holly as they came to a stop outside the fat lady's portrait. The lady gasped and fell off her chair, taking a minute or so to regain her superior position.

"My word young lady," she scolded. "What a mouth you have!"

"Aparecium," said Rose quickly. She nodded apologetically to the startled lady.

Holly grabbed Rose's arm and dragged her inside before the portrait had fully opened. The students of Gryffindor were startled by their booming entrance. Holly dropped her bag and books on the nearest table and Rose followed her actions, it was her turn to be confused.

"Holly, what are you-"

"I've got it!" exclaimed Holly. She pulled her to the nearest couch and they fell back quickly. Holly took a deep breath.

"It's a family feud!" she announced. "They were lovers, separated by their family's. It was probably a family heirloom, passed down to that little boy and he must have kept it! Both boys must be aware of the story and Scorpius reacted when he saw it because he believed it was his family's, not theirs!"

Rose's eyes widened, her mouth dropped slightly and her eyebrows rose high above her head. Could that have been the case? Holly's theory sounded very believable and it was the only logical explanation for Scorpius' reaction.

"That's quite believable," said Rose. "Very believable indeed."

"Well of course it is!" said Holly. "It's probably true."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," reasoned Rose. "It's only a theory."

Holly shrugged.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about school and Teddy and Victoire's engagement. That was one positive highlight of the school year for Rose.

Holly looked over Rose's shoulder to the portrait hole where Albus and Elizabeth were climbing in. She waved them over cheerily, winking at Rose as she did.

"Hey Rose, Holly," greeted Albus. "How are you?"

"We're alright," said Holly. "And you two lover birds?"

Albus looked away shyly. Elizabeth smirked. "If you must know, we-"

"No, no, that's alright," interrupted Rose. She searched quickly for a new conversation until she realized that a certain someone wasn't with them. "Where's Paul?"

Elizabeth frowned. "Not sure," she admitted. "He was with us one minute and then he just disappeared."

Albus nodded. "It was weird, he looked quite distracted."

The group fell silent for a moment, thinking about Paul's sudden disappearance.

"Oh well," said Holly. "I'm sure he'll catch up to us. Shall we head down to the Great Hall for dinner?"

"Please," begged Albus. "I'm absolutely ravenous." This was proved by the sudden ripping sound that came from him. His stomach growled and gurgled loudly as he patted it.

"Alright," said Elizabeth. "Let's go."

.................................................. .................................................. ....

After the feast had finished, Holly and Rose stumbled through the portrait hole. They were followed by numerous Gryffindor students, all with the same satisfied look planted across their faces.

Paul had returned to the group when dinner began, much to everyone's relief yet he refused to tell them where he had ventured during the afternoon.

"Satisfaction is sweet," murmured Holly, patting her belly. "I love a good roast."

"You love anything edible," Teased Rose.

Paul flopped back onto the couch next to Rose. He rubbed his face tiredly.

"Rough day?" Asked Holly.

Paul shook his head. "No, I'm very tired though."

"Aren't we all?" added Rose. She yawned involuntarily and closed her eyes. She could feel Paul's eyes burning into her face but she didn't really care. Rose just needed to sleep peacefully for once.

An owl hooted in the background which forced Rose to open her eyes. She looked around lazily as the black and brown patched owl landed on Holly's shoulder. Attached to its leg was a small envelope with neat writing addressed to Holly.

She pulled out a small owl treat from her pocket and shoved it in the owl's mouth. It hooted angrily and flew off, swishing its wings annoyingly.

"Excuse me," said Holly. "I'll only be a minute." She stood and went to the corner of the room to read her note.

Rose rolled her eyes and looked to Paul. He was watching her warily.

"What?"

"Nothing." He replied innocently. Too innocently.

"Where were you this afternoon?" she pressed firmly. "The truth please."

Paul shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

Rose cocked her head to the side. She frowned. "Please?"

"No, it's not important."

"Paul?"

There was a moment's silence as their eyes stared tirelessly into each others.

"Fine," said Paul in defeat. "I'll tell you."

Rose grinned. "Thank you. Now, where were you?"

His eyes flickered to the sides to make sure no one was listening. "I..was looking for..Scorpius Malfoy."

Her eyes widened in shock. "You were what?!"

Paul hesitated. "I've noticed you've been acting differently. You're very quiet and reserved lately so I wanted to find out if...he'd said anything especially nasty to you."

"What?!" gasped Rose. She was sitting upright now. "Paul! Are you insane? What did you do? What happened?"

"Calm down Rose," he said nervously. "I just wanted to make sure, that's all. We didn't fight, if that's what you mean."

"Don't go near him!" She warned. "Leave us alone, I haven't spoken to him and he certainly hasn't said anything to me!" Rose was shocked that she was using the word **us**, its meaning was too significant.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "I was only concerned."

"No," she snapped. "You're being nosy! Leave it, everything is fine!"

The pair sat in and awkward silence, Rose would have continued to fight if Holly hadn't bounced back onto the scene.

"Rose," she asked in her sweetest voice. "Will you _please_ accompany me on the patrol tonight?"

Rose furrowed her brows. "Isn't that head boy's job?"

"He's sick," she informed her. "I just received an owl from him."

"Oh." Rose glanced at Paul. He was staring at the fire, clearly deep in thought. "I suppose so...if it's not breaking any rules."

"No, no of course not!"

Rose lifted herself from the comfortable couch and followed Holly out into the hallway. She wrapped her robes more securely around her frame as the cool night air took its blow.

"Thank you." murmured Holly as they started walking towards the staircase. "I don't like walking these halls alone."

"It's alright," Rose muttered.

It wasn't long before they found their first group of misfits. Three or four boys were running across the grounds towards the forbidden forest, clearly unaware of the dangers that lurked inside.

Holly gasped and pointed out the situation to Rose. They were just viewable amongst the dark.

"Foolish boys," muttered Rose. "Are they trying to get themselves killed?"

"We should alert the closest professor," informed Holly. "They'll be able to retrieve them."

Rose shook her head. "We won't have a hope of finding them in this darkness if we don't follow now."

"Rose," she argued. "Do you want us to be swallowed by the darkness too?"

"Holly, you run and inform a Professor," directed Rose. "I'll follow them."

"No way no how," said Holly. "That is not an option."

"They could be first years!"

The girls stood hesitantly, watching each other cautiously. "Fine." said Holly. "But be careful."

Rose nodded and ran in the direction of the forest; Holly disappeared in the other direction.

The bitter cold whipped Rose's face as she ran through the darkness, her wand barely illuminating her surroundings. The ground was covered by a thick layer of mist and so it didn't help when tree roots and rocks appeared out of nowhere.

She didn't bother to stop at the border of the forest, Rose kept going, determined to find the idiotic boys that were likely to be surrounded by a pack of centaurs, or something worse.

Rose stopped to catch her breath. She leant against the stalk of a particularly large tree, covered in moss and sap. She flicked her wand this way and that to make sure there wasn't anything in her path.

Suddenly, Rose heard cries and yells coming from somewhere nearby. Her heart accelerated at quick pace. She kicked off the tree and bolted in the direction of the noises. They became louder as she neared the center of the forest.

"Help!"

"Please, somebody!"

Rose pushed her legs further through the undergrowth, tripping and stumbling a few times in the process. The cries were fading now.

"I'm coming!" called Rose. "Hold on!"

She dodged another large tree and held her wand out in front of her now. She could make out three dark figures, all cramped inside the hollow of a massive tree. Rose didn't understand until she saw another dark figure that was around the other side of the tree. It was large, tall and wide, and was clawing at the hollow ferociously.

Rose's breath caught in her throat. Was that…? It couldn't be. She kept very still, losing the light in her wand. It was only alleged that these creatures resided in the Forbidden Forest, never proven.

A million thoughts and images ran through her mind at that moment. _What do I do? Will it come for me? How do I help those boys? We're all going to be killed unless I do something! Why? Why did I agree to this? Oh please hurry Holly!_

The werewolf snarled and growled, tearing at the tree. Rose tried to breathe quietly but with no luck. Her breathing was heavy and thick. She tried to think of a spell that was useful against werewolves. She could only think of Stupefy, she wasn't even sure if that would work.

_I love you mum, dad, Hugo, grandma, pa, nan, pop, Holly, Paul, Albus, Lily, James, Ginny...__**.**_ The list continued until Rose had thought of everyone she loved. Rose took a deep breath and ran. She stopped a fair distance away from the werewolf but in a direct line with it.

It looked up and snarled in her direction, leaving the boys alone. Rose gasped, trying to remember her plan. It advanced on her quickly, hunger written all over its face. She gripped her wand fiercely.

"S...S...Stu..."

Rose couldn't remember it. What was the darn spell? She backed away quickly towards the tree but managed to fall in the process. She scrambled across the ground towards another hollowed out tree but was caught by the wolf. He clawed at her robes and ripped half of them to shreds. Fear flowed through her veins like a toxic chemical. The boys inside the tree cried in protest, yelling and cursing.

The wolf landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She could feel its hot breath centimeters from her face and prayed that it wouldn't hurt. Rose closed her eyes and tears flowed freely from them.

The wolf opened its mouth to bite and-

"Stupefy!"

Rose opened her eyes. The wolf was no longer on top of her. She blinked a couple of times before coming to the realization that someone was with her. Who? She scrambled to her feet and backed away as a tall and lean figure emerged from the darkness.

Her eyes widened as Scorpius Malfoy appeared in the shine of the moonlight, his face hard but terrified. His eyes flickered to Rose's for a brief second before returning to the monster that had scampered to the other side of the ring of trees.

_Scorpius?_ She choked back tears, tears of relief. No matter how much she hated this person, Rose was never more thankful to see him.

She looked straight at Scorpius; he was mouthing something to her. _A...n...Wa...Wand!_ Rose jumped over the large tree root and dived for her wand that was caught between the tangles of forest growth. She snatched it quickly, cutting her hand in the process, and ran back towards the scene.

Scorpius dived behind a thick bush of some sort and grunted angrily. Rose bit her lip and ran to the boys that were huddled inside the tree. She shone the light on their faces to reveal three very panic stricken first years. One of them had received a large gash across their neck.

"Stay here," she instructed them. "Don't move."

Dashing across the arena like area, Rose shot spells at the wolf whilst it was busy harassing Scorpius. The beast turned on her and snarled loudly, baring its razor sharp teeth.

"Stupefy!" Called Rose. The wolf dodged the spell and bounded towards her from the side.

Scorpius was suddenly beside her and braced his wand in front of him. Rose copied his actions swiftly and the pair braced themselves to fight again.

"Stupefy!"

The wolf stopped in its tracks and became as still as a statue. It let out a small yelp before falling to the ground with a loud crunch. Neither Rose nor Scorpius had cast that spell.

They both turned their heads in shock to find Professor McGonagall marching towards them; Holly was behind her with Professor Longbottom. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene and circled the area twice before resting her eyes on Rose's, they were worried.

"That is enough!" snapped Professor McGonagall. "All of you will leave the forest immediately with Professor Longbottom! You are to wait in my office." The fear was evident in the Headmistress' face as Rose and the rest of the group trudged through the forest following the Herbology Professor.

"Not again." Rose heard Scorpius mutter as she caught up to Holly.

Rose couldn't help but shudder. She agreed with Scorpius one hundred percent. _Not again._


	9. To befriend or not to befriend

Chapter Nine-**To befriend or not to befriend**

The torch's flame flickered restlessly under the pressure of the cool night air. Rose paced back and forth noisily, tracing the scars and scratches along her hands.

_Everything is alright,_ she thought frantically. _Everyone is safe, no one was injured...seriously and no one is getting into trouble tonight, well except for those three Slytherins. Scorpius and I will be absolutely fine! He saved me, I owe him my life. Ew. Oh, why did Holly have to go back to the common room?_

"Will you stop that?" snapped Scorpius. She froze in her tracks and stared at the tall boy who was leaning against the stone wall tensely. "It's highly irritating."

Rose pursed her lips. "I'm sorry if you find anything animate irritating, Scorpius, but I'm having a reaction here. A very normal reaction."

He scoffed rudely and looked to the ground. "I am going to be in so much trouble."

"Neither you nor I will be in any trouble, we didn't do anything wrong!" Rose looked to her shredded robes sadly. "Well, you won't be."

Scorpius' eyes followed to where her glare rested. He chuckled quietly. She huffed and forced the torn fabric to cover her knees. His laugh was somehow sweet and melodic which made Rose blush ever so slightly.

She shook her head and lent against the opposite wall. "What happened to the cold, heartless enemy I knew?"

He smirked. "What happened to the fussy, preoccupied know-it-all I knew?"

"You're in a jolly mood," she noted. "Of course it's natural to joke around and play games after a near death experience."

"Near death experience," he mimicked annoyingly. "If you weren't in the way then there wouldn't have been a near death experience."

Rose gaped angrily. "Excuse me?"

"You got in the way."

"What?" she was yelling now. "If I hadn't interfered, you'd probably be dead! In fact, I had everything under control until you showed up!"

He laughed mockingly. "Yes, you had everything under control! When I appeared, the first thing I saw was a vicious creature ready to rip you to shreds!"

"You know," she snapped. "I was going to thank you for saving my life but I don't think I should anymore. All you want is the glory of being a hero when everyone hears that you've saved someone's life! You sicken me!"

"The glory of-oh I can't believe-do you think that I was-" Scorpius was struggling for words. Rose glared at him mercilessly.

"If you must know," he cried, storming towards her. "The first thing that popped into my head when I arrived was _No, not Rose. I'm not going to let her die because-_"

Scorpius only stared. He was staring into space, his expression confused yet tense. He clenched and unclenched his fists continuously until Rose could see thick nail marks in his palms.

"Scorpius," she snapped. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing," he said blankly. "Nothing at all."

He turned on his heel and headed back towards the opposite wall. Rose narrowed her eyes at him in confusion. What had he been trying to say? She pushed herself off the wall and marched towards him.

"What is wrong with you?" she yelled. "Are you insane? Tell me what you were going to say?"

"There was nothing to say!"

"Yes, there was!"

"Fine," he snapped and spun around to face her. "I didn't want you to die because it would be on my conscience for letting a helpless girl leave this earth when it wasn't her time!"

"H-Helpless G-Girl!" she cried. Her fists were shaking violently. "Is that what I am in your eyes? A helpless girl, a-a fussy, preoccupied, irritating know-it-all?"

"In my eyes?" he bellowed. "What do you mean _in my eyes_?"

"Well," she continued, ignoring his question. "I see a snobby, obnoxious, egotistical, c-cowardly boy who has too much pride for his own good!"

"Just calm down," he cried, stepping towards her. "Don't have a hissy fit!"

"J-J-Just s-shut up Malfoy!" she screeched.

At that moment, the stone eagle descended from the headmistress' office. The three Slytherin first years walked shamefully across the hallway, murmuring thank you as they passed. Escorting them was Professor Longbottom.

He paused in front of the angry pair warily, taking in their defensive positions.

"Ah...Professor McGonagall will see you now," he said uncomfortably. "I don't think you're in too much trouble."

Rose smiled appreciatively at the Professor. He was a great family friend and she appreciated the courage he was trying to give them.

Scorpius walked briskly towards the stone eagle, muttering the password loudly. Rose followed reluctantly, keeping her distance from the spineless twit. She jumped on quickly and once again, held the eagle's wing for support.

Professor McGonagall sat behind her desk, her hands folded tensely on the glistening wood. She watched Rose and Scorpius as they entered the room; both of their heads were hung lower then usual.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Weasley," she said. "You two have been in my office on far too many occasions. I am most disappointed in both of you..."

There was a moment's silence as the pair sighed in defeat. Rose kept her eyes straight on the bridge of the headmistress' nose so that she wouldn't have to look into her penetrating glare.

"But I am also very proud of you."

Both Scorpius and Rose looked up in shock. Scorpius shifted uncomfortably at Professor McGonagall's sudden praise.

"Professor?" Questioned Rose. She frowned slightly.

"Although your behaviour has been appalling," she stated. "You were extremely brave tonight in your pursuit of the young boys. If it weren't for you two, those boys would be gravely injured or possibly dead."

She cringed at the Professor's direct words. _Brave? Rose Weasley? courageous? Ha! I'm sure the Professor is only being nice. The reasonable way for this meeting to go would be for her to yell at us harshly and add on to our lunchtime detentions. Why the sudden praise?_

"Therefore," she finalized. "Forty points will be awarded to Gryffindor and Slytherin for..."

The Professor paused, thinking of the best way to describe Rose and Scorpius' attempt at fighting a werewolf.

"Sheer dumb luck," announced Professor McGonagall with a slight smile on her face. It was as if she were remembering an amusing memory.

The remainder of the meeting revolved around punishments and general school discussion. Scorpius had overheard a group of immature fifth years persuading the three first years to sneak into the forest. He warned the young Slytherins to stay away from the forest but of course, being the oblivious boys they were, accepted the dare when Scorpius wasn't around.

Rose was bewildered by his selfless actions of attempting to retrieve the boys by themselves. Her eyes kept flickering to his face in case she saw a hidden smirk or joke behind the story. There was none.

Once out of the warm office, the pair continued towards the eagle in a state of desperation to be rid of each other's presence. Rose could feel the hostility radiating from Scorpius as they sunk deeper into the stone floor.

The words _snobby, obnoxious and cowardly_ flashed through her mind as the eagle came to a halt inside the mighty archway. She cringed quietly at her harsh words before stepping off the stone establishment and continuing down the hallway. Scorpius was in front of her, his hands stiffly by his sides.

Rose bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she should apologize or not, after all, he had called her a helpless girl. Rose decided on her first option. It was the nobler thing to do.

The air filled her lungs quickly and then left at the same speed. _Quick, apologize! Hurry up, Rose, he's leaving!_

"S-Scorpius!" she called with less importance than she'd hoped for. "Can I talk to you?"

The tall boy stopped and turned with a look of reluctance. He waited impatiently in his spot, his eyes were slightly narrowed.

Rose rolled her eyes slowly before walking cautiously towards him. She had the urge to fiddle with her fingers but thought the better of it. She needed to look authoritive.

"I would like to say thank you," she stated, hesitantly keeping eye contact with Scorpius. "For saving my life..."

She inclined her hand towards him, a gesture of thanks and no more. Scorpius stared at her out stretched hand incredulously before meeting her eyes again.

"Am I supposed to shake it?" he asked rudely. "Or is this a trick?"

Her heart came to a complete stop. _WHAT?_ Rose was screaming inside. Her eye twitched once before she pulled her hand back and grunted.

"I am trying so hard," she said through clenched teeth. "To end this crazy rivalry between us, and you take it as a joke."

"What?"

"It appears that some people," she snapped. "Aren't worth the trouble. But I already knew that, you rude, inconsiderate prick!"

"What did you just call me?" His voice was appalled. Rose didn't care. She turned on her heel and maneuvered herself around Scorpius' tall frame, marching down the hall way without a second glance.

"And to think that I was going to ask you about Rose!" She yelled.

"Rose?" called Scorpius. "What do you mean?"

Rose didn't answer. She lifted her nose into the air and turned the corner, fighting a panic attack the whole way back to the common room.

"Stupid boys."


	10. Detention

Chapter Ten-**Detention**

_The hall sparkled like a million diamonds had been encrusted into every available space. The light cascaded throughout the large area, giving off a golden glow as the dancers swayed gracefully in a slow blur._

Two figures moved smoothly across the floor, less visible compared to everything else in the room. They reached towards each other longingly until they were securely wrapped in each others arms.

The tallest of the pair reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny red object, placing it in the female's awaiting hand. The moment the small object touched her hand, there was a flash of blinding light and they were gone.

The shiny object clattered to the floor quietly, but the smaller red did not shatter. There, the object lay amongst the dancers, completely alone and unnoticed. Then there was black.

Rose's eyes opened immediately. She lay perfectly still; the doona and sheets covered every inch of her body as she tried to breathe normally. Gently, she pushed the cotton from her face and received a burst of fresh air.

She sighed quietly before blinking a couple of times to regain her vision. Rose sat up slowly and looked around. Not a girl stirred within their beds, all were still, breathing at a normal pace. Rose smiled in relief. She was not in the mood for chatter.

_That was the weirdest dream I've ever had,_ she thought. _It was too subtle and mysterious. But it was all so familiar...like de ja vu._

"Hmmmm," she thought aloud, curling into a ball. "I wonder."

Suddenly, Elizabeth shuffled noisily in her bed and sighed in a satisfied manner. "Albus, stop it." She muttered.

Rose had to muffle her laughter. _Since when does Elizabeth talk in her sleep?_

Quickly, but quietly, she stepped out of bed only to feel the crunch. She looked to her feet and found owl treats scattered around the wooden floor. Rose cringed, picking the bits of owl treat from her feet.

Whilst in the process of cleaning her feet, Rose spied a letter sitting on her bedside table. She picked it up curiously and studied it. It was addressed to her in formal handwriting.

Rose shrugged and peeled it open silently, pulling out the crisp parchment. The letter read...

_Dear Miss Weasley,_

This is a letter of importance to remind you that you are to spend these two coming lunchtimes in the Transfiguration classroom in detention with me, Professor McGonagall.

Do not arrive late as it will only add to your punishment.

Sincerely,  
Professor McGonagall

She frowned deeply. Detention. Rose had almost forgotten about the dreaded punishment.

"That would explain the owl treats though," she murmured. "Silly creature."

She folded the letter carefully and placed it under her pillow, then scooped up the owl treats and threw them in the bin that sat near the door.

It was seven o'clock when Rose headed down to the common room. She held Pride and Prejudice in her arms, the ripped pages hanging loosely together. She was humming  
La Vie en Rose, an old muggle song which had a sweet melody. The words were in French however, and so Rose only murmured.

"Rose!"

"Rose!"

"Rose!"

Three voices sounded the common room with frantic voices. Rose stopped on the staircase and looked around. Paul, Albus and Holly were racing towards her with petrified expressions.

"Hi guys," said Rose, trying to sound casual. "Why are you up so early?"

Before she could continue, the trio had thrown themselves at her and she was now enclosed in various hugs. "I'm...okay...seriously."

"What happened to you?" asked Paul in his protective voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," said Albus. "Holly burst through our door at about eleven last night with the most crazed expression you've ever seen!"

"Did she tell you everything?" Inquired Rose, in a slightly frustrated voice.

"Yes!" The boys said in unison.

Holly nodded encouragingly.

"Well," continued Rose. "Then there is no reason for me to speak about it."

"But Scorpius Malfoy was there," said Albus as if he were spitting out poison. "The scoundrel"

"Hey!" yelled Rose. "He saved my life! You should be thanking him, not spitting at him. Otherwise, you might've been visiting shredded Rose today!"

Everyone went silent and took a step back from their friend, looking at her as if she were insane.

"Don't give me that look," she muttered. "No one is going to judge me today."

"It's good to see that you're alright," said Paul, hugging her quickly. "At least you weren't hurt seriously."

"Thank you, Paul," said Rose. "Holly, can I talk to you?"

Her best friend shuffled quickly towards the portrait hall and exited, Rose on her heel.

Holly stopped and waited for Rose who was walking ever so slowly towards her. Rose placed her hands on the stone railing and sighed.

"What's going on?"

Holly frowned. "I'm not following."

Rose bit her lip and turned to face her friend. She folded her arms and unfolded them, hesitating to say something.

"Every time I talk about...Scorpius Malfoy, you all look at me like I'm insane, or going to jump on you with a knife." She started to breathe more heavily. "Why? Why do you do that?"

Holly pursed her lips, looking for the perfect answer. She stared into space for a while before looking at Rose.

"You have no idea, do you?"

Rose shook her head.

"If you could just look at yourself every time you talk about him, just see how you act."

"Well, I can't see myself Holly," snapped Rose. "So please, enlighten me."

Holly smiled briefly. "Every time we talk about him, you get all defensive and annoyed. And when he's mentioned, you blush, and when he walks past, you walk faster, and in class, when he moves, you move. It's like an automatic reaction. But he does it too."

Rose felt her knee's buckle. She could feel her jaw hanging and her eyes wider than ever, but she quickly composed herself.

"Holly," she said. "That's ridiculous. What are you trying to tell me? Because I think you're taking this completely out of proportion!"

Holly frowned. "Rose..."

"Let's just go down to breakfast," suggested Rose. "I'm going to need a full stomach today."

The day flew by as if someone had pressed the fast forward button on a television remote. Rose sat through her classes impatiently, ignoring the concerned looks Holly gave her, the interested looks the entire student body gave her (it was clear that someone had spread the news of last nights events) but what annoyed her most was the fact that Scorpius Malfoy hadn't looked at her at all.

Rose was in Herbology, the class before lunch. She stood there, poking the Fluxweed aimlessly while Holly scribbled down notes.

"Done!" she exclaimed, throwing her pen excitedly in the air. "Finished!"

"Are you sure you got everything down?" asked Rose, peering over at the messy handwriting.

Holly nodded. "Don't stress, I won't fail us."

Rose rolled her eyes and began to clean the small mess. Holly was tapping her pen on the wooden desk, a troubled expression upon her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Rose warily, wiping her hands with a towel. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just wondering," she said. "Who that werewolf would have been. I mean, where would they have come from?"

"Who knows," said Rose coldly. "There's bound to be a community somewhere on the other side of the forest."

"Mmm," agreed Holly. "So what was it like? To face the werewolf?"

The image of the great beast filled her mind, its hot breath blowing her face, its deep black eyes staring into hers. "It's the most overwhelming feeling of terror you can imagine, thinking you're going to die a painful death." Rose whispered to the floor.

Holly smiled sympathetically, with a hint of confusion. "At least you're safe now."

"Mhm," said Rose sarcastically. "And now I'm off to detention."

Rose walked briskly through the school hallways, avoiding the stares that crossed her eyes every now and then. During a normal lunchtime, Rose would eat lunch in the great hall and then sit by the lake with her friends. This lunchtime, and the next, she would be sitting detention with Albus and Scorpius under the watchful eye of Professor McGonagall.

She came to a halt outside the Transfiguration classroom and took a deep breath before entering slowly. No one was inside, nothing stirred except the small dust particles that floated around the sunlight which was streaming through the open windows.

Rose took a seat at one of the front desks and started unpacking her ink, quill and parchment. It wasn't long before Professor McGonagall entered the classroom followed by a morbid looking Scorpius Malfoy.

Shock crossed the Professor's face as she discovered Rose already to go.

"Miss Weasley," she said. "You're very early."

Rose blushed and nodded. "I'm sorry, Professor."

Professor McGonagall walked down the aisle towards her desk and pulled out her wand. She swished her wand towards the blackboard and a piece of white chalk sprang to life. It moved across the board, writing a simple sentence.

_I will not fight with other students nor will I break school rules repeatedly._

Rose dipped her quill in her ink and began writing, unsure as to when she should stop.

"Mr Malfoy," called Professor McGonagall. "Please do not sit at the very back of the room, please sit yourself on the desk next to Miss Weasley."

Rose's whole body tensed as she felt Scorpius brush past her, his fingers touching her arm ever so slightly. _Where the heck is Albus?_ She thought unhappily. _I hope he hasn't forgotten._

She peered up to Professor McGonagall after ten minutes and saw that she was on the verge of bursting with anger. The stern headmistress stood stiffly and cleared her throat.

"I will be back momentarily," she announced. "Please behave whilst I am gone."

The headmistress flew out of the classroom door and down the hallway. Rose listened anxiously until her footsteps could not longer be heard.

The pair sat in their seats, writing even faster then before. The scratching noises caused by the quills gave Rose a headache.

"Will you stop that?" She snapped, dropping her quill. Scorpius looked up icily and glared at her.

"What have I done this time?" he growled, dropping his quill as well. "Did I make a spelling error?"

Rose's eye twitched. "You're purposely writing quickly to distract me."

"Bollocks!" he cried. "I'm just trying to get my lines done so I can get out of here."

"That's a likely story," muttered Rose. "Just like that one about the boys in the common room."

Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "Do you take pride in your supposed superiority? Do you think you have the right to order everyone around like you do?"

Rose stood quickly which let her chair fall over with a loud thud. "Do you think it's funny to keep someone up at night constantly, because they're trying to figure out what they did wrong? To deserve such hostility?"

"I'm not sure," he snapped, standing too. "Maybe your boyfriend, Paul, can comfort you though!"

"Don't you dare bring Paul into this!" cried Rose. "What did he do to you?"

"I don't know, threaten me perhaps!"

"Paul didn't threaten you!"

"He thinks he is so special, to be able to come up to me and ask if I've done anything wrong to you, to have upset you, when it's the last thing I want to do!"

"Oh don't try this one on me again," snapped Rose. "You already tried to get me to feel mushy last night! It's not working!"

"I'm not trying to get you to feel anything for me!"

Rose sighed angrily and pulled her chair up from the ground. She sat down stiffly and began to write again, ignoring Scorpius who was still standing there in utter shock.

A moment later, Rose heard Scorpius pull his chair from the ground. She watched from the corner of her eye as he gathered his stationery and moved two desks away from her. Her grip on her quill only tightened as she heard the seventh year slam his books on his new desk.

A new silence filled the air. This one wasn't awkward and uncomfortable; the pair were way past that point. The new air was angry and tense, like helium in a balloon, ready to burst at any moment.

Rose continued writing quickly, every stroke of her pen becoming more forceful. She gritted her teeth as she wrote "I will not fight" for the fortieth time that lunchtime. Oh how she wanted to fight. However, the image of Scorpius' frail body lying on the ground, surrounded in a pool of blood, burst into her mind. Rose shook her head, leaning closer to the parchment.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall burst into the classroom, dragging a reluctant Albus Potter by the ear. He rolled his eyes at Rose as he stumbled past and into the desk next to her. Rose poked her tongue out at her cousin before resuming her angry posture.

"You're all so much like your parents," Professor McGonagall said, handing Albus a quill, ink, and a piece of wheat coloured parchment. "I'm absolutely astounded by the resemblance. Sometimes I mistake you for them."

Rose smiled at Professor McGonagall before looking at Albus who sighed and dipped his quill in the black bottle next to him. Rose risked a glance at Scorpius Malfoy who busily writing his lines. She scowled at his tense figure before turning back to her own parchment.

The rest of the lunchtime detention was spent in absolute silence. Professor McGonagall sat at her desk, busily flipping through sheets of parchment. Rose checked the clock hanging on the wall every few minutes, praying that lunchtime would end soon. When the Professor finally called the students to attention, she looked almost relieved.

"Alright," she said, moving away from her desk. "I am pleased with your progress this lunchtime."

Rose began packing away her ink and quill, glad that the detention session had ended.

"I shall see you all tomorrow," The Professor continued, collecting the parchment from each desk. "Will we try to be on time tomorrow, Mr. Potter?"

Albus nodded and waited for her to return to head of the classroom. He looked at Rose and rubbed his hear, mouthing "ow" to her. Rose muffled her laughter and turned her attention to the front again.

"I am just reminding you that Miss Weasley has one more detention, and Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter have three more detentions. Good day students."

Rose stood and grabbed her bag which was sitting at the foot of her desk. She walked out of the classroom and leant against the wall, waiting for Albus. Scorpius exited the classroom first. He looked straight ahead as he passed Rose, and continued walking without a glance behind. Rose felt her eyes narrow in frustration. She watched as the Slytherin's shadow disappeared with his body around the corner.

Albus emerged from the classroom a minute later, looking like a scared child on Halloween.

"What took you so long?" Rose asked, bumping his shoulder.

Albus shuddered. "I've had too many lectures for one day."

Rose laughed. Albus looked back at the classroom and breathed deeply.

"Was it just me," he wondered. "Or did that whole atmosphere feel really tense?"

Rose shrugged and tightened her bag strap around her shoulder. "I didn't notice at all."

Of course, this was a lie.


	11. A Change of Heart

Chapter 11-A Change of Heart

Scorpius rolled the galleon coin along his bony fingers. He watched the shiny surface reflect the sunlight which was pouring though the closed window in the Slytherin common room. It was a Saturday afternoon and Scorpius had wasted the whole day on study notes, text books and assignments that weren't due for weeks.

The truth was, Scorpius wasn't the kind of boy to have random outbreaks of educational motivation. He generally left homework and assignments until as late as possible. The only reason the Slytherin wasn't wandering around the school grounds with his friends was because of a certain someone. Scorpius hated to admit it, but Rose Weasley was preventing him from going absolutely anywhere. It wasn't as if she was exerting a physical force upon him that kept him cooped up like a chicken, but unintentionally and without awareness, she was mentally twisting his thought processes.

It seemed that every time Rose and Scorpius crossed paths, some kind of battle would take place. Scorpius was sick and tired of clashing with the Gryffindor. In fact, it had never been his plan to start world war three with Rose Weasley. He had simply set out to ignore her, but of course, being the know-it-all she was, things just had to become sticky.

_"Oh don't try this one on me again," snapped Rose. "You already tried to get me to feel mushy last night! It's not working!"_

"I'm not trying to get you to feel anything for me!"  


It was true; Scorpius had no intention of becoming involved with Rose. However, each time the pair fought, or even looked at each other, he couldn't help but set out to make these situations more frequent. Scorpius didn't understand why Rose had to be so persistent, and it frustrated him.

"Missing something?"

Scorpius looked up, still completely lost in his thoughts. Estella Harrington stood in front of him, closer than necessary, flipping a galleon coin in her hand. Her other hand was curled around her hip which was jutted out intentionally to create more of a curvaceous appearance. Her long, black hair was pulled back into its usual bun, and a devilish smile was plastered firmly on her face.

Scorpius looked at his hand quickly and saw that he no longer had the galleon in his grasp. He reluctantly looked up at his seventh year friend and gave a half hearted smile.

"Estella," he muttered, edging away ever so slightly.

The seventh year's smile grew wider as she flipped the coin even higher. "I thought you might need this."

"Thanks," Scorpius mumbled. He reached up to take the coin which was in mid-air. Obviously though, Estella was enjoying this little game she had developed. She snatched it away quickly and enclosed it in her hand. She giggled unnecessarily before breathing in deeply.

"You look rather distracted," she said too happily. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

_Not with you, _Scorpius thought in an irritated manner. "No, not really."

"Oh." The disappointment was clear on her face. She frowned deeply and unenthusiastically flipped the galleon back to Scorpius. He yanked the coin out of the air and gratefully placed it in his jean pocket.

If Scorpius didn't leave the common room quickly, he would be stuck listening to Estella ramble on about everything. He would risk running into Rose Weasley in order to get away from the Slytherin.

Scorpius stood quickly, forcing Estella to take a small step backwards. "I'm going for a walk."

"Oh," she said loudly. "Ok then, I'll come with you!"

_Must you? _Scorpius thought unhappily. "Listen Estella," he muttered. "I'd rather walk alone. I have to clear my head."

Estella sighed and placed both hands on her hips. "It's about that Weasley girl, isn't it?"

Scorpius stiffened, clenching his fists together. "No," he snapped. "I'm going for a walk now."

The annoying seventh year scowled before grabbing his arm. "Let's go for a walk then."

Scorpius glowered at the back of Estella's head. She was the most irritating person in the world and she was the only one who didn't realize it.

Once they were outside the common room, Scorpius pulled his arm free of Estella's strong grip. He moved around the seventh year and took the lead, completely unsure as to where they were actually going. At the moment, the only thing on Scorpius' mind was to get away from Estella. Perhaps if he strayed far enough from the school, Estella would turn around and go back. She always disliked walking for prolonged periods of time.

"So," Estella said a little too merrily. "Where are we off to?"

Scorpius didn't reply. He kept walking, increasing his pace every minute. The day was quite pleasant, though chilly. It was conceivable that Estella would turn around and go back if they went outside. He rolled his eyes as she began rambling on about homework and other irrelevant topics. Quickly, Scorpius made a sharp turn and began to ascend a conveniently placed staircase. Before he could finish his climb, something caught his eye in a window that mirrored the lake.

……………………………………………………………….

Rose held the pendant protectively in her grasp as she and Holly made their way towards the lake. The day that Rose had somehow been dreading was finally here. Her gut twisted sickeningly as she watched the Ravenclaw first year waiting expectantly, for them.

Rose glared at the back of Holly's head, it was all her fault. Holly had been on her way back from the library when she came across a worried looking first year who was asking about a pendant. Of course, Rose should have been delighted that she was able to get rid of the pendant, but she wasn't. She had become so attached to it over the past couple of weeks that giving it away was almost like giving away a part of her.

"Holly, I'm perfectly capable of walking." Rose argued, trying to pull her arm free of her friends grip.

Holly scoffed. "I know you are," she said quickly. "I'm more concerned about how capable you are of running."

"What?"

"It feels like you're about to make a run for it."

Rose rolled her eyes. The butterflies were so evident in her stomach she could have flown away at any moment.

"Hello Patrick," Holly said once they had reached the first year. "We have something for you."

Holly looked at Rose. Rose cleared her throat and straightened up. She tried to smile warmly but failed miserably. Luckily, Patrick was too focused on the pendant in Rose's hand to worry about her emotions.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get it to you sooner," Rose apologized with little sincerity. Holly kicked her and narrowed her eyes at the pendant.

Rose took a deep breath and let the pendant fall into Patrick's hand. He enclosed it in his own and smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks." He said.

Rose and Holly were just about to turn back towards the castle when the pendant flew out of Patrick's hand and over Rose's head. She turned around in alarm to find Scorpius picking the pendant up from the grass. He held it firmly in his grip, tucking his wand away in his pocket.

"Scorpius!" Rose yelled. "What are you doing?"

Scorpius glared at the three standing before him. He held the pendant out towards them, but his grip was strong. "This is my family's pendant!" he snapped. "I've already told you that."

"You can't take that," Patrick shouted. "That's mine!"

"You selfish bastard," Rose bellowed, marching towards the Slytherin. "Give that back. You have no right! No right!"

She grabbed the other end of the pendant and tugged on it roughly. Scorpius made something of a growling noise and pulled even harder at the other end, causing Rose to stumble towards him. Their faces were inches apart now, but all they could do was stare into each others eyes hatefully.

Holly took her place beside Rose and grabbed at her end also. The small triangle that the three had formed was becoming dangerous but none of them seemed to notice, or care. Rose dragged the pendant towards herself, with the help of Holly. However Scorpius resisted. He looked to Estella for support with a look of reluctance, but she was too shocked by the situation to notice.

"Stop it!" Patrick cried. "You're going to break it!"

That thought seemed to have occurred to the three at the same time. They all let go instantly and watched with panic-stricken faces as the pendant flew into the lake. It sunk immediately into the black, unchartered depths, leaving no trace.

Rose looked at Scorpius, and Scorpius looked at Rose. For a moment, it looked as if he were going to say something, but instead, began taking off his shoes.

"Scorpius," Rose asked warily. "What are you doing?" Though the answer was obvious to her.

Rose moved forwards and grabbed his arm. He turned to face her briefly before ripping it free of her grip. With his shoes, jumper and shirt now off, Scorpius bolted into the lake. Rose was momentarily stunned by her shirtless enemy and almost forgot to breathe. His chest was pale and lean, his shoulders broad and toned.

A high pitched shriek brought Rose back into reality. "Scorpius!" Estella yelped. Rose followed her eyes to an unsettled part of the water where he had clearly gone in. The next thing that caught her attention was Scorpius' wand, which had fallen out of his pocket. A sense of dread coated Rose. The pace of the event had caused him to act irrationally.

Estella looked at Rose and Holly with pleading eyes. "What do we do?"

Rose looked at Holly, who shrugged unhelpfully. She moved towards the unsettled first year and tried to comfort him.

Estella started hyperventilating. It didn't concern Rose; the sound was just annoying and made it hard for her to think. She moved over the disconcerted Slytherin and shook her shoulders forcefully.

"Calm down," she urged. "We'll wait another minute or two, and if he doesn't surface, well…" Then what? Rose had no idea. The logical thing to do was to run and get help, but then, did she really want to serve another detention? She had been to Professor McGonagall's office on too many occasions.

Rose began to pace, glancing frequently at the still water. _Please, _she thought, _please be alright._

………………………………………………………

Diving into the lake was something like suicide. The water was almost black and it was difficult for Scorpius to see. The little sunlight he found glinted off other objects which gave him a false sense of hope. He had immediately regretted the decision the moment he made contact with the water. Wouldn't the logical thing have been to use 'accio'? Scorpius considered turning around and using the accio spell, however, he didn't want to look like a coward in front of them.

Who was "them" though? He had no opinion of Holly and that first year, their thoughts didn't bother Scorpius in the least. And it didn't bother him if Estella thought less of him, that more of a benefit. So, was it Rose he was trying so hard to prove something to? That thought only made Scorpius swim deeper.

Something glittered powerfully in the water. Scorpius swam towards it, trying to get a better focus. As he came closer, he realized he had found the pendant. Desperately, he grabbed at the piece of jewelry until he had a strong enough grip on it. Scorpius turned in the water and prepared to kick off, but found he couldn't.

Scorpius looked at the bottom of his jeans where a large chunk of the denim was caught on something resembling wire. No matter how hard he pulled, the wire wouldn't release his jeans. The oxygen was leaving his body quickly and he was wasting energy trying to free himself. Scorpius began to convulse, looking around frantically for anything that might help him. He saw nothing.

Slowly and painfully, Scorpius' eyes fluttered closed. Black was clouding his vision and he could do nothing to prevent it. The last thing Scorpius remembered was his pendant sinking further into the depths of the lake.

…………………………………………………

"He's been down there too long," Rose snapped. "Far too long."

"What do we do?" Estella pushed. "What do we do?"

Rose looked at Holly and sighed, taking off her shoes. Holly's eyes grew wide in fright and marched over to her friend.

"Rose," she warned. "Don't you dare go down there!"

"I have to, Holly!"

"But-"

"But what Holly?" Rose snapped aggressively. "I can't let him die."

Without another word, Rose plunged into the black depths of the lake. She kicked as fast as she could, her eyes shooting in all directions for Scorpius. It took her another moment to make sight of the seventh year. He was floating unconsciously, his face sickeningly pale. Rose saw that his jeans were caught on a wire of some sort.

She kicked furiously towards the bottom of his jeans and with all the strength she could muster, pulled. It took her a few tries to release Scorpius, but once she had managed to, the oxygen supply in her lungs was running extremely low. Rose grabbed Scorpius' shoulders firmly and began to kick upwards. Her lungs were screaming for air, and Rose was just about to give up when the pair hit the surface.

She breathed heavily as she paddled herself and an unconscious Scorpius to the shore. Holly, Estella and Patrick stumbled to the edge of the lake and helped pull Scorpius to safety. Holly then dragged Rose out, giving her a massive hug.

"Are you alright?"

Rose was too tired to answer. She breathed in the cool afternoon air heavily, collapsing onto the grass. Her voice was raspy as she said "Summon the pendant."

Holly yanked her wand out of her pocket and turned her attention to the lake. Rose stood and stumbled towards Scorpius' corpse like figure. Without thinking, she fell at his side and shooed Patrick and Estella away. Rose had never personally performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on anyone before, but she had read about it.

"Does anyone else know mouth-to-mouth?" Rose asked hopefully, looking at Patrick and Estella. They both shook their heads. Rose sighed and settled herself on her knees. She leaned over Scorpius and with one hand, pinched his nose and with the other, pulled his chin so that his mouth opened.

Rose took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _For gods sake, _she thought, _why me? _Rose placed her lips on Scorpius' mouth and breathed into him deeply. She pulled herself about and took another deep breathe, and then bent in again. Rose repeated this again and again, but still nothing happened.

"Come on!" she shouted. "Wake up!"

Rose bent in again, but stopped just in time. Scorpius' eyes flew open and turned to his side, coughing up water. He gagged for a moment and then fell onto his back again, completely conscious. The group exchanged looks of relief.

Rose looked back to Scorpius who was watching her intensely. Rose couldn't look away from his stare, no matter how much she wanted to. Cautiously, she watched from the corner of her eye as Scorpius reached towards her hand that was resting on his chest, of which she was completely unaware. Rose made to pull her hand away but Scorpius grabbed it and held it there. Her breathe caught in her throat.

Suddenly, a mild jolt went through Rose's body, which was followed by goosebumps and shivering. Rose now noticed that Scorpius was shaking violently. She pulled her hand away and stood up, offering him her hand. Scorpius took it without emotion and stood. Estella popped up a moment later with Scorpius' jumper and shirt. She gave them to him gently, though he didn't remove his eyes from Rose's.

"You saved me," he choked out. Rose was startled by his comment. She took a step back and shook her head as if to clear it.

"Um," was the best she could come up with. "That's ok…" She said awkwardly.

Rose looked at Holly who was cradling her clothes. "Come on," she said quietly. "Let's go. I gave Patrick the pendant."

She stared at the first year who was placing the beautiful jewelry piece in his pocket. He smiled appreciatively at Rose before retreating. Rose looked at Scorpius who was glaring half-heartedly at the first year.

Rose turned away with Holly; she had had enough of this. Quickly, the pair moved towards the castle, avoiding the curious eyes of students.

"We'll get you warmed up," Holly said, with a small chuckle. "I bet that's the first thing on your mind."

But it wasn't. The only thing on Rose's mind was seeing Scorpius grab her hand and keep it on his chest. Something had changed between the pair that afternoon, but somehow, it wasn't for the worst.


	12. Confusion in The Heart

**Well, here we are at chapter 12. I never thought I'd make it this far, but evidently I have, and I have lots more to write about these two. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I'm terribly slack sometimes…ok most of the time. Without further ado, I give you, chapter 12….**

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Chapter 12-Confusion in The Heart

"Look, I'm sorry you don't like being cooped up like this," Rose snapped, tapping the glass cage with her pencil, "but if you keep knocking the cage I'll pull out the Doxycide."

Rose, like any other wizard, disliked Doxys very much. They were tiny little pests that infested anything, especially drapes. She had only just removed a large infestation of them before coming back to school. Rose looked at the next question on her worksheet which asked "What are the advantages of Doxy's?" She huffed and wrote "There are no advantages."

Evie looked at Rose's answer and laughed. "I completely agree. I've been bitten too many times by them."

Rose cringed before dropping her quill onto the wooden table. She had been writing non-stop since the beginning of her Care of Magical Creatures class and her hand was aching horribly.

Rose did not enjoy coming to Care of Magical Creatures anymore, amongst a few other subjects. It wasn't because of the lesson plan, or the teacher, or the work. She didn't have any problems with those. The problem was Scorpius Malfoy. However, he wasn't a problem in a bad way, but not necessarily in a good way either. Ever since the lake incident, Rose hadn't been able to get over his action. The way he had grabbed her hand and held it to his chest sent shivers along her spine and the blood rushing to her cheeks. The whole drama had occurred two days ago, but Scorpius and Rose hadn't spoken to each other, nor looked at each other once.

Something hit her foot gently and she looked down to see Evie nudging her foot with her own. Rose looked at her friend strangely. Evie coughed and looked behind Rose discreetly before turning back to her work. Rose turned around and came face to face with Scorpius. He was looking at her with no expression, but looking at her nonetheless.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked quietly, his eyes flicking to Evie quickly. "In private..."

"Uhh," Rose slurred inarticulately. "Yes." What had struck Rose was not his presence, but his tone of voice. Was Scorpius being…gentle? He didn't sound arrogant or forceful, which was a first.

Scorpius watched the professor for a moment, who was treating a Doxy bite on a distressed student. He turned and the pair moved towards the boundaries of the class, traveling to the other side of a particularly large evergreen tree. Rose leant against the tree, looking at Scorpius expectantly.

"I just wanted to say thank you," he began. "Thank you for saving my life."

Rose bit her lip. She wasn't sure as to how she should respond to something like that. "It's alright," she said awkwardly. "Don't mention it."

Scorpius did not look satisfied with this answer. Rose didn't understand why. What else was she to say? _Any time, I'm sure you would have done the same for me, Of course I would save you, you block head._

The pair stood their awkwardly, both completely at a loss for words. Scorpius was just about to turn away when Rose stopped him in his tracks.

"What's going on with this pendant?" she blurted out. "I'm so confused! I mean, you dived into the black, unchartered waters of the lake to get it for god's sake. You're so protective of it! Who are Walt and Rose? Why does it say Rose? Who's meeting again? Give me some answers, please!"

Scorpius hesitated, looking from Rose to the rest of the class who were all getting angry with their Doxy's. "I don't'…"

Rose folded her arms stubbornly and raised an eyebrow at the blonde boy standing before her. "You're the one who put me through this whole ordeal with the pendant, so I expect answers."

The Slytherin sighed in defeat and took a step closer to Rose. "Walt was that little Ravenclaw's great, great grandfather and Rose was my great, great grandmother. Back then, times were difficult and there was a lot of dispute between purebloods and those that were muggle born or had muggle blood in them. There were severe blood laws then which restricted who you could marry, or even befriend."

Rose could already see where this was going but she let the Scorpius continue.

"Walt and Rose, I'm sure you've discovered their connection by now. They fell in love. Rose was from a pureblood family, and Walt was muggle born. The pair had to see each other in secret, but as you can guess, that became difficult. In those times, it wasn't natural to go for a walk by yourself and meet with friends so casually.

Eventually, Rose and Walt decided to tell their family's about their love for each other. That was a big mistake. In a desperate attempt to keep the peace, Rose revealed that she was pregnant. It took everyone by surprise, including Walt. Rose was forced to leave her home because she had brought 'shame' to her family name. Walt's family wouldn't accept her either, and so, Walt moved out to be with Rose. The problem was, they had nowhere to go. The pair decided to move out into the country where pricing was sure to be cheaper.

One day, when Walt was working for an old wizard, he received at owl from Rose which said she had gone into labour. There weren't any doctors in the remote village they lived in so Walt rushed home immediately."

Scorpius stopped and took a deep breath. Rose didn't blame him, he was feeding her so much information it almost made her head explode. She had an idea of what was coming next, though it was too saddening to think about. Scorpius looked at Rose and frowned.

"Rose gave birth to a baby girl, but died in during labour. Walt raised their child, and died a lonely and angry man. He blamed himself for everything that had happened to Rose."

Rose was stunned, speechless almost. That story would haunt her for a long time to come. She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat and breathed deeply.

"How did you know about all of this?"

"I found Rose and Walt's journal in the attic a year ago. Are you done fishing information out of me?" Scorpius sounded aggravated now, but Rose ignored this.

"I just don't fully understand how the story that this pendant holds makes you so protective of it." Rose admitted.

Scorpius glared at Rose and turned around. "I'm not going to answer that. I'm not an encyclopedia."

"But-"

"No!"

A sudden movement made Rose and Scorpius jump. Professor Bloomsbury waddled towards them unhappily, her hands on her hips.

"Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, just what do you think you are doing?" The professor reprimanded, shaking her finger. "You two are old enough to know that your relationship troubles shouldn't interfere with class time."

Rose looked alarmed. Did the professor think that she and Scorpius were dating? The thought was absurd.

"Please get back to your work; you're only disadvantaging your final marks."

"Yes professor." Scorpius and Rose said in unison. They walked away to their tables, glancing back several times at each other.

When Rose arrived back at her table, she was greeted with a questioning look from Evie. She shrugged and picked up her pen. "Don't worry; it was just his usual rubbish." Rose felt the rush of guilt she had been expecting after saying those words.

Evie frowned. "Oh, ok."

"So," Rose chatted. "Have you been bitten by anymore Doxys since I left?"

Evie laughed and shook her head. "But if I do get bitten, this whole bottle of doxycide-" she pulled a large, white container with a large X drawn on it from underneath the table "-is going to drown this tank."

The doxy inside the cage flailed about angrily, bouncing off the walls of its glass cage. Its hairy body made it look like nothing more than a piece of cotton caught in a fierce wind. Rose couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the doxy; after all, it was being caged up for study.

Rose picked up her quill from the table and continued to take notes on the Doxy. However, her mind strayed after a moment and she found herself thinking about Scorpius and the pendant. Rose had grasped the story very well, and understood why it could be significant to his family, but to Scorpius as an individual, she did not understand. She had asked for him explain his protectiveness of the pendant, but he had blatantly refused. What did that mean?

"Alright class," Professor Bloomsbury called. "thank you for working well today. As it is the last class of the day, I must ask you to clean up your mess and then you may proceed back to the castle."

The class grumbled quietly as they were forced to move tables and fight with angry Doxys. Rose assembled her notes and placed them in her folder, which she then placed in her bag. Evie hesitantly took the cage in her hands and almost trotted towards the professor. Rose laughed at her friend and she began to fold the table together. Someone brushed past her suddenly, and it made her jump. Scorpius had moved around her, and suspiciously close too. She watched as he flexed his hand and then placed it in his robe pocket. Rose looked at her own hand, which was burning and tingling. She could still feel the exact point where his fingers at brushed hers. Why did that give her butterflies in her stomach? In fact, there were so many butterflies in her stomach that she could have defeated gravity.

As Rose bent down to pick up the table, something fell out of her pocket. A small piece of parchment lay on the ground, folded in half. Rose swore she had never put that piece of paper there; she always kept her pockets clean. She grabbed the parchment quickly and unfolded it. Written on the parchment was one word, _You. _

……………………………………………………………………………….

_You…You…You…You…You…You…You…You_

"What does he mean?" Rose snapped, staring at the piece of paper for the hundredth time that afternoon. "You? Is 'You' me? I'm so confused!"

Rose sat in front of the fire, her troubled expression hidden by her hair which was hanging freely over her face. She always allowed her hair to protect her face from unwanted stares when she was in a bad mood.

"Hey Rose," a familiar voice whispered gently. "Why are you hiding behind your hair?"

Rose turned her head slightly to see Paul pulling her hair apart like a curtain. He smiled brightly and pretended to look around like he was in a house. "Can I come in?"

Rose laughed and rolled her eyes. She shook her head and let her hair fall behind her back. "Hi Paul." Rose patted the floor next to her, inviting Paul to sit down.

"Are you sure you want to sit so close to the fire?" Paul questioned, watching the blazing fire cautiously. "If you sit here much longer you'll shrivel up like a prune."

"Right," Rose muttered. She pushed herself back a little bit and suddenly felt relieved to be free of the fires burning heat.

Paul sat himself next to Rose and casually placed an arm around her shoulders. She froze immediately, her shoulders tensing at the sudden contact. Since when did Paul become this confident? Rose was sure it was just friendly, but something in his mood and actions didn't quite register in her thoughts until that moment. She, herself, didn't' understand why she was making such a fuss over this action, normally she wouldn't be bothered by it, but one-he had never done this before, and two-she seemed to be holding the note in her hand tighter.

"Rose?"

She looked at Paul quickly, trying to cover up her discomfort. "Yes?"

"I-I have to talk to you about something."

Rose's heart rate accelerated dangerously high. She sighed, trying to relax, and placed her arms around her knees, curling up. "Ok. Shoot."

"Well," he began, trying to catch Rose's eyes. "I really don't know where to begin."

Rose laughed nervously, biting her lip. "Just say it."

Suddenly, Paul grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her around to face him. He held it in his hand gently, but securely. Rose was about to ask what he was doing when he pulled her up off the floor with him. She found herself being led out of the common room, and into the quiet hallway. Cool air hit her like an explosion, strong and quickly. Rose didn't feel great in the stomach, and if Paul didn't say whatever he had to say, she could end up vomiting.

"Rose," he said, taking her face in his hands. Rose grabbed his wrists and tried to pry his hands off of her face. She wasn't comfortable with this; Paul had been her friend since first year, her best friend, her shoulder to cry on and someone who she could laugh endlessly with.

"I like you very much Rose," Paul whispered, completely unaware of Rose's uneasiness. "In fact, I love you. I've loved you for three years, but I've been too shy to say it. I love you."

The sound left her ears, the scent left her nose, the sight left her eyes and a strange choking sound drowned her voice box. Rose began to breathe heavily, and blinked a couple of times to regain her sight. She couldn't escape Paul's stare. Roughly, Rose pulled his hands away from her face, turned on her heel and ran. Where exactly? She had no idea, but she needed to get away. Although she couldn't see his face, Rose knew what he would look like. The image of Paul, the disappointment thick on his face caused by Rose, sent a wave of emotion over her.

Rose descended two flights of stairs and took a left, then a right, and another right. She had no idea where she was going, and she didn't care. As she turned a corner, she saw Scorpius walking quickly, trying to escape Estella Harrington, who was babbling on about something. As soon as Scorpius made eye contact with Rose, she turned with lighting speed in the opposite direction and almost flew down the corridor.

A new set of footsteps sounded throughout the corridor, louder than Rose's. She broke into a run, trying as hard as she could to get away from her pursuer. Someone roughly grabbed her arm from behind which caused her to fall backwards and into them. They turned her around with the same aggressiveness and forced her to look up.

Rose looked up slowly and made eye contact with Scorpius, who was watching her with concern. That look of concern on his face caused Rose to burst out in fresh tears. Scorpius stood their awkwardly, unsure as to what he should do. Without thinking, Rose threw her arms around Scorpius and buried her face in his chest. She could feel the shock that went through his body but she too was shocked.

Quickly, Rose pushed away and wiped her face. "Sorry." she mumbled through sobs. "I shouldn't…have done…that."

Suddenly, Rose was pulled back towards Scorpius. She was wrapped in his arms in an instant, one hand on her back and the other on her hair. Rose didn't have time to freeze for she was already melting into him. She wrapped both arms around his torso and pulled him tighter, burying her face in his chest once again.

In that moment, something cracked inside Rose and realization dawned on her. Paul had just expressed his love to her, and yet, here she was in the arms of Scorpius. It felt so wrong, but it also felt so right.

Rose had a decision to make, a decision to make about love.

**How did you like that? I thought it was time something happened, because seriously, Scorpius and Rose can't be stuck in an endless battle of love can they? And what about Paul? Poor Paul ******

**Tell me what you think. Reviews are always nice ;) **


	13. Vantage Point

**First of all, I have to say a HUGE sorry to you all for being a complete slacker. My time management skills are poor and I probably deserve a foot to be hacked off with a wooden spoon for such a delay. **

**Secondly, thank you to everyone who has commented and loves this fanfiction! I'm sorry I don't get to reply to all of your comments, but they mean the world to me. So, keep them coming! **

**And now, without further ado, I give you, chapter thirteen…**

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Chapter 13-Vantage Point

Rose paced nervously around the dormitory in an attempt to think clearly. She stopped occasionally to regain her balance and think the events of yesterday afternoon through, before resuming her uneasy walk. She hadn't been brain dead, nor had she been delirious. In fact, Rose couldn't quite work out what had caused her to behave so strangely.

"_Scorpius," Estella shouted, dodging the corner of the wall by an inch. "Wait for…me."_

_Rose and Scorpius broke apart from their warm embrace and turned to look at the pesky Slytherin, who was watching them with wide eyes. She took a step in Scorpius' direction, one arm stretched out towards him. "What's going on?"_

_Quickly, Rose jumped back from Scorpius, wiping her tear stained face. She turned on her heel and walked away, turning around once to give him a fleeting glance. Scorpius watched after the Gryffindor with confused eyes, before returning his gaze to Estella. _

"_Nothing," he muttered, directing himself around the irritating seventh year. "Just leave it." _

_Estella noted that there was a far less severity to his tone than usual. He seemed upset, and slightly dazed. She placed her hands on her hips and frowned, tapping her foot noisily on the concrete. _

"_What's going on with you and that Weasley girl?" she interrogated. "I thought you hated her."_

_Scorpius' shoulders tensed, but he did not turn around. Instead, he increased his pace drastically, and turned a corner in the opposite direction to which Rose went. Estella was left by herself in the deserted corridor. She clenched her fists in jealousy and began releasing small squeaks of frustration. _

"_My word young lady," one portrait exclaimed. "What a temper you have."_

_Estella huffed and stormed away in the direction of Scorpius, the fumes clearly visible from her ears._

"Well," Holly interrupted. "Spit it out already!"

Rose ceased her pacing and stared at her best friend, unsure as to how she should tell her about yesterday's events. Holly sat with her legs crossed in the middle of Rose's bed. She had a very concerned expression on her face.

"I-well you see-it would-it wasn't," Rose scratched her head, trying to figure out the best way to tell her friend. If she blurted it out plainly, Holly would surely have a fit of laughter and start prancing around the room shouting "I was right!". If Rose didn't say it quickly though, she was sure Holly would assume it was much worse.

"Rose," Holly said, jumping off the bed. She moved around to Rose and took her shoulders roughly. "Tell me, I'm getting really worried."

Rose sighed and flopped backwards onto her bed, looking up at the ceiling. She guessed it would be easier to tell Holly without actually seeing her reaction.

"Yesterday, Paul…he confessed his love for me," Rose began, screwing her face up in guilt.

Holly laughed quietly and swung herself on the bed post. "I thought it was about time he told you!"

"What?" Rose snapped, sitting upright. "What do you mean?"

"Rose," Holly muttered. "I've known about this for ages. I'm sorry for not telling you, but I made a promise to Paul!"

Rose smacked her forehead and collapsed back onto her bed. "Wow, ok."

"So, what did you say?" Holly questioned, sitting herself on the corner of Rose's bed. She crossed her legs in anticipation.

Rose remained silent, staring up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and shook her head at herself before sitting upright once again.

"I didn't say anything Holly, that's the problem! I was so confused and upset that I ran away. And I know you'll never believe me, and I still don't believe it myself, but I ran into Scorpius and Estella. He saw me and I ran away as fast as I could, but he chased me! And Holly, he grabbed my arm!"

"What?!"

"And I hugged him!"

"What?!"

"And then I pulled away, but he pulled me back again and we were hugging each other!"

"What?!"

The tears were welling up in her eyes now, so Rose began to pace again, ignoring the look of utter astonishment on Holly's face.

"Rose…" Holly whispered. "You, hugged each other? But Paul…"

"I know," Rose blubbered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I just, I don't know why, but I couldn't accept Paul and his love. What's wrong with me?"

Holly stood and pulled her friend into a large bear hug. "I'll tell you why," Holly said. "I don't know if you should hear it right now, but you might as well. Rose, you have feelings for Scorpius. I saw it at the lake on the weekend, and I've seen it ever since."

"No," Rose uttered. "No, I don't." She pulled away from Holly and sat herself on the corner of her bed, wiping her wet face.

"Yes, you do." Holly insisted, sitting next to her. "Tell me Rose, whose face did you see when Paul told you he loved you? Because I bloody well know it wasn't Paul you were looking at."

"Holly," Rose moaned, looking at her friend. "He's rude and arrogant, and completely frustrating! How could I have feelings for him?"

"I don't know," Holly admitted, tapping her finger against her pursed lips. "I'm just as confused as you are."

Rose heaved a sigh and stood up. She moved around her bed to where her school bag was sitting, and pulled it over her shoulder. She then proceeded to pull a bunch of tissues from the box sitting on her bedside table and wiped her face gently.

"Come on," she said, angling towards the door. "We need to get to breakfast."

Holly nodded and grabbed her bag, dragging it out of the dormitory. The girls walked in haste towards the great hall, clearly in need of a distraction. As Rose followed Holly inside, she stopped dead, staring guiltily at the Gryffindor table. Albus was sitting opposite to Paul, attempting to speak to him. Paul had his head in his hands, and he was rubbing his face aggressively. His lips moved slightly, signifying that he was talking, but reluctantly.

Rose grabbed Holly's arm for mental support as they made their way along the Gryffindor table, getting closer towards her cousin and best friend, perhaps best friend no longer.

Paul and Albus looked up at the approaching pair, Albus looking quizzical and Paul, blank. Rose stopped a few feet away from her cousin, keeping her eyes anywhere but at the depressed seventh year opposite them.

"Hi guys," Holly said, pulling Rose into the seat next to her. Rose sat reluctantly, keeping her eyes on the food in front of her.

"Hey," Albus greeted, stretching his gaze to Rose.

Holly coughed and began piling scrambled eggs and toast onto her awaiting plate. She did her best to keep the conversation flowing. "God I'm hungry." She almost shouted, grabbing a few pieces of bacon.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw Albus looking at Rose questioningly. She smiled half-heartedly and looked up, taking an apple from a bowl in front of her. She turned it in her hands a few times before putting it on her plate.

"Not hungry?" Paul asked suddenly, with a poisonous undertone.

Rose avoided his gaze as she poured herself a goblet of orange juice. "Uh, not really-I'm sorry!"

Albus raised his eyebrows at Rose's sudden outburst but continued to eat his breakfast in silence. Holly mirrored his actions.

"Sorry for what?" Paul muttered, glaring at the table.

Rose placed her goblet on the table in strained gentleness and sighed. "Paul, you have to understand, it was all so sudden…I wasn't prepared."

She watched as the seventh year scoffed quietly and shoved a piece of dry toast into his mouth. Rose glared at him and stood up, grabbing her school bag. "I don't want to talk about this now." She concluded. In one swift motion, she had turned and was out of the great hall.

"Rose!" Holly called, but she continued walking, shaking her head embarrassedly.

……………………………………………………

Scorpius sat at the Slytherin table, staring at his breakfast with no interest. Estella sat beside him, chatting to a small sixth year beside her. Opposite him was his friend Will, who was, as usual, shoveling food into his mouth. Luckily for Will, his metabolism worked like a machine and he had no problem maintaining a healthy weight.

However, Scorpius paid no attention to people around him. There was only one person on his mind, and she had yet to make an appearance at breakfast. Just the thought of Rose Weasley made his skin prickle with anticipation and warmth. Yesterday had been something of a shock. Feeling Rose's body pressed against his so securely was like a burn, it stayed with you for a long time after it had scorched your skin. Only this burn wasn't painful or unpleasant, it was intoxicating and he only wanted to be burned deeper.

Scorpius was pulled out of his emotional bubble by a sudden malicious buzz along the Slytherin table. His eyes darted from student to student as they turned their heads in the direction of the entrance of the Great Hall. Scorpius turned his head curiously in that direction, only to be surprised by the arrival of Rose Weasley and Holly Aberdene. He watched as the blonde girl pulled Rose along towards the Gryffindor table. There was a look of reluctance plastered onto her face as she moved.

"Isn't that the girl?" The sixth year sitting beside Estella muttered. "The one you've been talking about?"

"Yes," Estella hissed, letting out a small chuckle. "I do believe it is."

Scorpius turned his head in their direction, furrowing his brow deeply.

"Did you hear?" The sixth year questioned Scorpius.

"Hear what?" He replied, the crease in his brow deepening.

"That Weasley girl," the sixth year continued. "Estella told me that yesterday; she caught her and another student in the hallway. She was practically begging for him to love her. Apparently she was on the ground, grabbing his ankles, crying, shouting at him for being so naïve. According to Estella, that Weasley girl is a mess. She just goes from one boy to the next, because no one loves her."

Scorpius glared at the sixth year for a moment before turning it on Estella. "What did you do?" He snapped through clenched teeth.

"What do you mean?" Estella murmured in false innocence.

"What did you say about her?" Scorpius interrogated, his temper on the brink of explosion. "You know that none of that is true!"

"Oh, calm down," Estella cooed. "You're overreacting."

"You brat," Scorpius cursed. "You just can't stay out of anyone's business, can you?"

"Excuse me?" Estella shouted.

Scorpius turned towards the Gryffindor table and saw that Rose had stormed away from her friends. He watched as she almost sprinted out of the Great Hall, her bag in hand. Without a second thought, Scorpius stood and grabbed his own bag, moving swiftly towards the entrance.

………………………………………………..

When Albus Potter had entered the Great Hall that morning, the last thing he had expected to see was a disheveled and downcast Paul, head in his hands and untouched food on his plate. It was unusual to see his Gryffindor friend in such a state, as he was generally a happy and content person. The only other time in which Albus could recall his friend in a mood similar to this one was the death of his mother. Marie was the kind of person who made you feel like you were floating above all others, like you were the only one who mattered. She had had a way of seeing the beauty in others, when they could not see it in themselves. After her death, Paul was shattered, but that was nothing compared to his father whom now spent his days surrounded by the comforts of alcohol and old memories.

"Morning," Albus muttered, dumping his bag beneath the wooden table.

"Morning," Paul replied quietly, forcing himself to look up at the arrival of his friend.

Albus watched skeptically as the dark-haired boy buttered a piece of toast and shoved it into his mouth, a half-hearted smile plastered onto his face. Albus copied his actions, curiosity dominating his facial expressions.

"So…" Albus began, searching for a topic on which to base conversation. Although he was itching to ask, Albus couldn't bring himself to poke around in Paul's business. The Gryffindor already looked as if he were on the verge of a serious breakdown.

"Are all women so…confusing?" Paul choked, running one pale hand through his thick locks.

"Apparently," Albus confirmed, taking a sip of orange juice. He looked at Elizabeth who was chatting with a friend of hers. She looked over in Albus' direction and winked before returning to her conversation. "Why do you ask?"

"I think I was too confronting with Rose," Paul admitted sadly, toying with the orange which had found its way onto his plate. "The look on her face said it all."

Albus choked on his second swig of juice and coughed quickly, emptying the contents back into his cup. "What do you mean?"

"I told her-" but Paul never managed to finish his sentence. His eyes traveled to the entrance of the Great Hall and paused there for a moment. He rested his head in his hands, rubbing small circles on his temples.

Albus turned to the entrance only to see Holly and a reluctant Rose making their way towards them. He turned back to Paul and asked "Told her what?" However, Paul only shook his head, muttering something about guilt.

"Hi guys," Holly greeted from behind Albus. He looked up and smiled as both girls took their seats beside him.

"Hey," Albus said, moving his gaze to Rose who sat, staring determinedly at her empty plate. Though her face was blank, her eyes were full of discomfort and-was it-guilt?

Rose looked up to meet Albus' gaze. She smiled quickly before picking an apple from the closest fruit bowl and turned it around her hands a few times before placing on her plate. What was going on between Rose and Paul?

Holly coughed awkwardly and declared that she was starving. Albus watched as she piled bacon and eggs onto her plate, and barely felt the kick he received from her. He looked at her with raised eyebrows but she only motioned with her eyes, telling him to start talking.

"Not hungry?" Paul grunted, though Albus could detect that undertone of poison. Nevertheless, he kept silent and began putting eggs onto his own plate.

"Uh, not really," Rose replied. Albus thought the conversation would come naturally from here, until his cousin suddenly decided to confront the gauche situation. "I'm sorry!" She cried, before taking a rushed sip of her juice.

"Sorry for what?" Paul almost teased, continuing to munch on his toast.

Albus and Holly exchanged a disgruntled glance before returning to their food. This wasn't a conversation-or more like argument-which required their personal opinions.

Albus heard the clunk of a goblet hitting the table and looked up to find Rose sitting there in a strained posture. "Paul, you have to understand, it was all so sudden…I wasn't prepared."

He looked to Paul to see his reaction, who only scoffed and grabbed a second piece of toast. It was very strange for his friend to be so unforgiving and hostile.

Suddenly, Rose was out of her seat, and grabbed her school bag. "I don't want to talk about this now." His cousin moved around a passing student and was out of the Great Hall in a flash.

"Rose!" Holly called, though it was pointless.

Holly glared at Paul before looking at Albus. "What's going on?" He snapped, looking from the entrance to his friend sitting opposite him. "Paul? Holly?"

"Albus, I…"

However, something else had distracted his mind. He motioned to the door and watched as Scorpius Malfoy moved outside of the Great Hall, in exactly the same direction to where Rose had left. "What's Malfoy doing?"

"Come on," Holly hissed, grabbing his arm. She pulled him out of the Great Hall at a pace which Albus thought was impossible to walk.

The pair turned left and made their way outside into the bitter wind, searching frantically for Rose and possibly Scorpius. The day was cold, and more than a little windy. The sky was washed in a depressing gray, which shed a morbid feeling in the atmosphere. The lake swirled roughly, sloshing its fathomless waters onto the grass infrequently, but in large quantities.

Suddenly, Albus was pulled onto the ground by a determined Holly. She motioned towards one of the courtyards that were built off of the castle. The stone pillars that surrounded the old establishment were covered with thick, green vines. The pair crawled towards the stone structure quickly, and stopped at the wall to catch their breath.

"They're in the courtyard," Holly said quietly, forced to raise her voice over the wind. "Be very subtle."

Albus raised his head and peered over the low stone wall. Rose was leaning against the solid bird bath which was situated in the middle of the structure. She had one hand on her chest, and the other placed on her hip. Scorpius was standing five feet away, facing her back. Neither of them was saying anything. A million questions ran through his head as he watched the scene unfold. When had Rose and Scorpius become so neutral? Why weren't they jumping at each others throats? And why had Scorpius run after Rose in the first place?

"Don't move," Holly cautioned, grabbing a fistful of Albus' robe on his sleeve. "Or I will personally beat you with stick until every single one of those biased cells in your foolish being has been removed."

Albus was momentarily taken off guard by this and shook his head a couple of times. "What?"

Holly smirked. "Never mind, just don't move."

………………………………………………………………….

Rose sighed, rubbing her chest soothingly. Why did everything have to be so complicated? She had never intended to hurt Paul's feelings, and knowing that she had done so made her feel like the most hated person in the world. Rose loved Paul, but not romantically. She loved him as if he were her brother, a shoulder to cry on and someone she could always talk to. Romantically, she could never consider Paul. As harsh as it sounded, he was too special to lose as a friend. She couldn't give up her friendship with him for true love. In true love, you risk everything you have for your significant other. You put your future happiness on the line, and your entire world is flipped upside down just when you're in their presence. If she couldn't feel that with Paul, then it just wasn't right.

"Rose."

Rose jumped, immediately realizing the voice which had spoken her name. She turned around in deliberate slowness, willing herself not to look at him. As soon as he came into view, Rose found herself gazing at his marvelous and unique features. His short blonde hair was in disarray, as was his school uniform. His tall frame stood proudly before her, but there was a certain softness which she had not noticed before. Finally, she reached his cold, gray eyes, which did not seem cold to her anymore. They pierced her like an arrow might, and it seemed as if they could read everything on her face.

"I…" She wasn't sure what to say to this boy. After their emotional, but short exchange yesterday, the right words were hard to find.

"You ran off yesterday," he reminded her. "Why?"

Rose bit her lip, but never lost eye contact with the Slytherin. He took a step closer, which should have intimidated her, but it didn't. It was more welcome then rejected.

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't know at all, Scorpius. It seems that I know nothing anymore! You confuse me! You're like a foreign language that you can only understand partially. On the days that I recognize your mood, you seem to hate me. And then you don't, and I don't understand why."

"It's hard for me to explain," Scorpius retorted defensively. "I don't understand it myself. I just…I have to be near you Rose."

This took the Gryffindor surprise. Her eyes widened at his words, though her vision of him was clouded by the wisps of hair that kept whipping her face gently. Scorpius closed in the remaining distance between them and raised one bony hand to her face. He brushed his fingers across her face gently, tucking the hair behind her ears. And although she asked him to stop, she closed her eyes, feeling the pleasant burn that stayed on her face from his touch.

Rose opened her eyes again to find Scorpius staring at her. The fact that she felt wobbly at the knees every time this boy touched her made Rose nervous. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. She was always the bright, strong willed girl who didn't let anyone boss her around. Suddenly, she found herself willing to fall to her knees and beg for Scorpius' touch again.

"Scorpius…" Rose knew that before she could ever succumb to this newly found emotion, an emotion only sparked by Scorpius, she had to deal with the Paul situation first. She didn't want to hurt either of these boys and leave things a mess. Rose hated mess. "I can't do this now."

Rose was fearful of his reaction, but she saw none. Reluctance flashed across his face momentarily, but it might as well have been that the emotion was never there. Slowly, Scorpius bent towards Rose and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. As his lips touched her skin, the heat immediately rushed to her face and all she wanted to do was grab the Slytherin and embrace him passionately. The heart was there, as was the motivation. But still, she resisted, because although this exchange took her breath away, she wasn't sure if his heart was in it too. Rose still detected an air of indecision in Scorpius.

Rose closed her eyes and reached up to touch his face but his hand suddenly caught hers and pulled it away. "I'm sorry." He muttered, and turned away, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Before Rose could control her urge, she ran forwards and shouted. "Why do I feel like my heart is the only one ready to succumb?"

Scorpius turned, a seriousness she had never seen before was planted on his face. "You think your heart is the only one in this?" He shook his head. "You said you weren't ready!"

"I…" It was true; Rose had prevented anything from going further. "Stop ruining this!"

"I'm not ruining anything!" Scorpius looked at her incredulously. "You're the one who decides to have these random outbursts of emotion. Not me."

"Exactly!" Rose snapped. "It's as if you don't have any emotion in this at all!"

Scorpius clenched his fists and exhaled deeply. "I keep telling myself not to argue with you, Rose. But I always end up doing it anyway. I'll tell you this now; I'll do whatever it takes to talk to you, even just to see you. If that means arguing with you everyday, and ending up in this conundrum of emotion and confusion, then I will. I do have deep emotions Rose, but they're buried deep, and you're the only one who can dig them out and bring them to the surface. So don't tell me that I have nothing to offer, because I'll offer you everything."

Rose stood on the spot, the tears streaming down her face. She cursed herself over and over for being so ridiculous and jumping to conclusions. She watched as Scorpius turned away and headed towards the castle. Was she going to let him walk away? Rose wanted to run after him, she wanted throw her arms around his frame and hold onto him so that he wouldn't leave. She wanted to talk to him, hug him, and kiss him. But she couldn't do that. Rose wasn't going to rush into something that she didn't fully understand, no matter how much she wanted to.

Quickly, Rose grabbed her bag from underneath the bird bath and hoisted it onto her shoulders. Wiping her face, she moved towards the castle as well, preparing herself for a week of mayhem.

…………………………………………………………….

Albus and Holly waited a moment until Rose was out of sight. Albus turned to his Gryffindor friend and sighed.

"Holly, what the bloody hell is going on?"

**Wow! There you have chapter 13. It was something of a vantage point, wasn't it? (Which is why I have entitled this chapter "Vantage Point") :) Please tell me what you think, and if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. I know I'm dragging on this relationship probably a tad too much, but before the EPIC moment occurs (it's coming), I think there is a little bit of sorting out to do (ahem ahem). **

**I promise I will update more frequently. **

**Peace out. **


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